Kyiv ready to relocate Russian citizens displaced by Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

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1. >**Some of Ukraine’s legislators have announced readiness to assist in relocating Russian citizens displaced by Kyiv’s ongoing offensive in western Russia.**

   >On August 6, Ukrainian forces launched their deepest incursion into Russian territory since the conflict began in 2022, advancing into the Russian region of Kursk.

   >While the operation has put Russian forces on the backfoot, it has also led to a significant civilian displacement, with Russian authorities reporting that around 200,000 people are being evacuated from Kursk.

   >In light of the [displacements](https://tvpworld.com/79908759/russia-evacuates-more-civilians-from-kursk-region), Ukraine has offered to help relocate the affected citizens and provide them with humanitarian assistance.

   >It has also set up a telephone hotline to assist Russians seeking safety.

   >“Ukraine shows its readiness to provide all necessary assistance to Russian refugees who have realized the consequences of the totalitarian regime for themselves and the irreversible nature of what is happening, that the war is continuing and has been dragged onto their territory. That is why they need help and they can receive it,” said Iryna Friz, a Ukrainian MP representing the European Solidarity party.

   >Volodymyr Fesenko from the Center for Political Studies told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a U.S.-based media organization, that Kyiv aims to portray its Kursk operation positively.

   >“Since there is a civilian population on this territory, the Ukrainian side is demonstrating that we will act completely different from the Russians. We are not going to do what the Russians did in Bucha, Irpin, and many other areas of Ukraine,” he said, referring to the conduct exhibited by Russian troops during their occupation of Ukrainian territories following the 2022 invasion.

   >Meanwhile, Ukraine has been evacuating its own civilians from border areas, including the northeastern region of Sumy, where Russian forces have intensified their attacks following Kyiv’s offensive.

   >An evacuee told RFE/RL: “Everything is destroyed or damaged. There’s no gas, no electricity, no water – nothing. This has happened since our [Ukrainian] offensive started.”

   >**Ukrainian incursions continue**

   >Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces remain active in the Kursk region, with reports indicating that Kyiv has taken [control](https://tvpworld.com/79940302/russian-reporting-on-the-ukrainian-kursk-offensive-fake-galore) of 82 settlements over an area of 1,150 square kilometers in the region.

   >On Saturday, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukrainian troops are strengthening their positions in the region and expanding the stabilized territory.

2. Meanwhile, Russia offers refugees 10,000 rubles ($100) aaaand… thats it

3. The Ukrainians care more about Russian civilians than Russian civilians do.

   As evidenced by the Russians telling how their own mothers want them to go to war and die “a hero”.

4. If I were an ordinary Ukrainian, I’d have **very** mixed feelings about this policy.

   Fundamentally, I’d oppose the resettlement of any Russian civilian from Kursk on Ukrainian territory even on humanitarian grounds. That practically ends up being the same as what Russian authorities are planning to do with refugees from Kursk by [resettling them in occupied Zaporizhzhia oblast](https://kyivindependent.com/russia-evacuates-refugees-from-kursk-oblast-to-russian-held-territory-of-zaporizhzhia-oblast/). Have we also forgotten about Ukrainian sentiment over how [ordinary Russians willingly resettled or recolonized Crimea since February 2014](https://ukraine.un.org/en/261842-russian-federation%E2%80%99s-decade-long-occupation-crimea-marked-widespread-violations) or [Mariupol since summer 2023](https://www.ukrainianworldcongress.org/russia-plans-to-artificially-resettle-its-citizens-to-mariupol/)?

   I would be OK with just leaving Russian civilians in place – supporting them as needed with necessities and staples – and offering to help them with the Russians’ cooperation (ha!) in resettling them in the 99.8% of Russia that’s not controlled by the AFU, if that’s what those civilians want.

   What this policy seems to crowd out is that Russian civilians have obliterated the trust of far too many of their Ukrainian counterparts with their pathological mix of denial, chauvinism, whataboutery and self-centeredness. So many Russian relatives or erstwhile Russian friends of Ukrainians have **refused** to believe the latter as Russian forces attack the same Ukrainians. So many ordinary Russians would rather dig into their native chauvinism instead.

   Here’s a taster of links as ordinary Russians straight up shame themselves opposite their Ukrainian friends and relatives

   “[Ukraine war: ‘My city’s being shelled, but mum won’t believe me’](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60600487)” (Mar. 4, ’22)

   “[‘They don’t believe it’s real’: how war has split Ukrainian-Russian families](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/18/ukraine-russia-families-divided-over-war)” (Mar. 18, ’22)

   “[For many Ukrainians, everyday Russians are as guilty as Putin](https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/2/17/for-many-ukrainians-everyday-russians-are-as-guilty-as-putin)” (Feb. 17, ’23)

   “[She’s Ukrainian-American. Her relatives are in Russia. Family group texts are awkward](https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/1158725735/shes-ukrainian-american-her-relatives-are-in-russia-family-group-texts-are-awkwa)” (Feb. 23, ’23)

   With all that’s happened in the last 10+ years punctuated by the lived experience of millions of ordinary Ukrainians with their Russian friends and relatives since 2022, can you see how a random Ukrainian would still want the pre-war quality of contact with “friends”, relatives or even neighbors from Russia? Does being so shamelessly and regularly stabbed in the back or gaslit in the most disgustingly ham-fisted way go unnoticed?

5. When is Kyiv going to start looking after its own citizens?

6. But in that case you aren’t going to call it “forced deportation of children”, right? Pieces of crap.

7. Relax everybody, that’s just for social media and likes.

8. Sounds like Russian propaganda 🤷‍♂️

9. I hope, Russians will change their perspective towards Ukrainians.

10. Plot twist: people from not yet affected territorries will line up to be able to live under Ukrainian administration.