The cross-border action by Ukrainian forces comes after more than two years of Russian aggression against Ukraine, where thousands of civilians, including many children, have been killed.
Ethnic Armenians in Kursk, who spoke with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service by phone, also confirmed Ukrainian gains in the region, including the capture of a Gazprom facility used by Russia for delivering natural gas to Europe.
Russia has declared a state of emergency in Kursk until August 11.
“It can be said that we are at war now. They [Ukrainians] have captured two towns that are 60-70 kilometers away from the city of Kursk. They seized some strategic facilities, including a Gazprom facility supplying natural gas to Europe and so on. The main fighting now is around the towns of Suja, Lgov and Korenevo. People have been evacuated from these areas. We are inside Kursk. And there is always a risk of missile attacks here. This is how we live,” one man, who requested anonymity, said.
He said that no evacuation from Kursk has been carried out yet, but noted that air alerts are frequent, entertainment venues are closed, and public transportation works with disruptions because of missile and drone attacks.
“Entertainment centers are closed, public transport operates, but every half hour there is an air alert, causing buses to stop and passengers to disembark. Trading centers and stores continue to operate. However, people do not go to restaurants and do not gather at places like hotels. Gatherings at such locations are banned until August 11,” he said.
“Warplanes, missiles are flying overhead. Air alerts are issued every half hour. But we are kind of used to it given what has been going on for the past year or two. No one takes cover because every half hour missiles or drones strike,” he added.
Another ethnic Armenian who owns a restaurant in Kursk reaffirmed that large gatherings are currently prohibited in the city.
“Restaurants remain open, but wedding parties, baptism parties, and birthday celebrations are not allowed there. People are permitted to done, but large events are prohibited,” he said.
The man noted that there was no panic among residents. Regarding the possibility of leaving the region he expressed uncertainty, citing concerns about who would manage his business.
“To be honest, we haven’t decided yet. We’ll see what happens during this time. The [state of emergency] is in effect until August 11. Things will be clearer after that, whether Russian forces manage to regain control of the territory or they come to some sort of agreement. We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what either side wants. I don’t know what the ultimate goal of the Russians or the Ukrainians is,” he said, adding that Russians evacuated from the towns close to the border with Ukraine are currently being provided with temporary housing in Kursk.
According to Russia’s 2020 census of the population, the Kursk region is home to more than 5,000 ethnic Armenians, who are the second largest ethnic minority in the region after Ukrainians.
It is unclear whether the Armenian government plans to evacuate ethnic Armenians from the Kursk region of Russia. A request for information on this matter submitted by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service to the Armenian Foreign Ministry had not been answered at the time of publication.