Video footage emerges showing the reentry of residents from the Kursk region back to their homeland from Ukraine.
In a heartwarming development, Natalia and Alexander, residents of Kursk Oblast, have been successfully returned from Ukrainian territory. Alexander Hinstein, the Acting Governor of Kursk Oblast, announced the return of the two individuals on his Telegram channel, following a report by the Russian human rights commissioner, Tatiana Moskalkova, on July 4.
The vehicle carrying Natalia and Alexander arrived in Kursk overnight, and upon arrival, they were taken to a temporary accommodation center for the next few days. Efforts will be made to process payments for the duo, as well as to help them restore their documents.
Medical assistance will be provided to Natalia and Alexander if needed, and Alexander Hinstein has also mentioned that they will receive necessary help with document restoration and payment processing. This comes after Tatiana Moskalkova reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the return of 132 Kursk Oblast residents who were being held in Ukraine on June 24.
However, the return of these two residents marks a small step in the larger context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. More than 150,000 residents were ordered to evacuate border communities in Kursk Oblast after Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into the region in August 2024. Cross-border Ukrainian drone and artillery attacks are still ongoing, which are preventing displaced civilians from safely returning to their homes in Kursk Oblast.
The Acting Governor of Kursk Oblast, Alexander Khinshtein, stated that the return of residents will only be allowed when authorities are confident there is no risk from drones or missile strikes. Although Russian military forces declared the Kursk region fully cleared of Ukrainian troops in April 2025, mine clearance operations began only in March and are expected to take more than a year, further delaying resettlement.
Meanwhile, the Sumy region in Ukraine remains a contested border area with active skirmishes, making civilian movement or repatriation complicated and insecure. In early 2025, Russian forces launched cross-border incursions from Russia into Ukraine’s adjacent Sumy Oblast to counter Ukraine's 2024 offensive in Kursk. The fighting has maintained the region in a contested state, preventing stability or return of displaced persons on either side near the frontline.
Currently, there are 30 Russians remaining on Ukrainian territory who were taken from the border regions of Kursk Oblast. Moscow continues to make efforts to return these individuals to their homeland. The ongoing conflict and mine contamination in the Kursk Oblast and the contested state of the Sumy region pose significant challenges to the safe return of displaced residents on both sides of the border.
[1] [Source for information about the situation in Kursk Oblast] [2] [Source for information about the situation in Sumy Oblast] [3] [Source for information about the contested state of the border regions]
- Despite the return of Natalia and Alexander, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to pose significant challenges for the safe return of displaced residents in the border regions of Kursk Oblast and Sumy Oblast.
- As more efforts are being made by authorities to return the remaining 30 Russians from Ukrainian territory in Kursk Oblast, the politics and general news surrounding the contested border areas, particularly in the Sumy region, will continue to play a crucial role in the resettlement of displaced residents.
