Evacuation from Kursk: Displaced Russians Arrive in Moscow
Dozens of visibly disoriented people disembarked from the first train to arrive in Moscow from the Kursk region, a conflict zone in Ukraine. The Russian news agency AFP reported the incident from the Russian capital.
Among those arriving at the station, which ironically bears the name of the Ukrainian capital: Kyiv, there are many families with children and elderly people. Many of them appear to be visiting Moscow for the first time.
“It’s terrible, they’re bombing,” an elderly man with a small travel bag muttered, declining to give his name. Another, who also wished to remain anonymous, claimed he fled from Kurchatov, located roughly 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. He reported that the city, with a population of approximately 40,000, had not been directly attacked but was under heavy Ukrainian aerial defense.
“The war came and it’s very scary, so all our relatives went to Moscow,” a woman traveling with her ten-year-old daughter said, greeting relatives.
The train that arrived at Moscow’s Kyiv Station was one of several ordered by the authorities to evacuate residents of the Kursk region. Ukrainian forces invaded the region on Tuesday and have advanced several tens of kilometers into the area. Fighting continues in the region as Russian forces struggle to repel the unprecedentedly large-scale attack.
Evacuees at Kyiv Railway Station inquire about the exit with passers-by. A 50-year-old woman who arrived by train with her teenage son sits on a bench and sadly strokes her cat Murko, which she brought with her.
Muscovites interviewed by AFP express varying opinions on the conflict. Some, like 59-year-old dining car manager Larisa, call for an end to the war and express financial support for displaced compatriots. Others, like 40-year-old Ljubov, believe the government is doing enough to help those affected by the war.
Some residents, like 68-year-old Lyudmila, urge the president to take more decisive military measures to repel the invasion. She hails from the city of Orel, located approximately 140 kilometers north of Kursk. “I’m afraid we’re next in line. Now it’s Kursk. And after Kursk there will be Orel,” she exclaimed.
The conflict has also affected other Russian border areas, which have been targeted by Ukrainian ground attacks, drone strikes, and artillery shelling. This operation, however, stands out in its strength and duration.
The Russian military confirmed that Ukrainian forces had reached the town of Suja, with a population of around 5,500, located ten kilometers from the border. The Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations has promised additional funding to evacuate residents of the Kursk region to safety. The army has also announced the dispatch of reinforcements to repel the Ukrainian forces.