Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is leaving civilians caught in the middle, and now many are fleeing. The residents said they feel abandoned by Moscow as reported on Thursday, Aug. 22. While many of these Russians blame Kyiv for the recent attack in Kursk, they wonder if their own government truly cares about them and if the Russian military is competent. Interviews also revealed that Ukraine’s surge into Kursk may be turning public sentiment further against Ukraine.
“Attitudes toward Ukraine have significantly worsened,” one Kursk resident told The Moscow Times. “If before there were people who sympathized or held a neutral position, now they’ve sifted to intense anger.”
Kyiv’s infiltration has left at least 31 people dead and 143 others injured. Human rights groups reported that at least 130,000 people have fled the region and 2,000 people are currently missing. Ukraine forces have captured at least 92 settlements in Kursk and have taken hundreds of Russian soldiers’ prisoner.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is not yet publicly addressing the incursion. However, state-run media outlets claim that more people are enlisting in the military and that the Ukrainian incursion is “uniting” Russians.
Meanwhile, Kyiv’s military successes have come at a time when Russian casualties are mounting. So many Russian soldiers have died that some regions are resorting to crowdfunding for body bags as municipal funds run dry. One wife of a Russian soldier killed pleaded for help on social media, saying that the Russian Defense Ministry is not transporting the bodies of troops from battle.
