Russia orders mandatory evacuation in two Kursk districts amid security concern

Evacuation orders were issued for the Rila and Khomutovsky districts, located within 15 kilometers of the Ukrainian border, for security reasons, according to Russian authorities.

Previously, evacuations were announced for the Glushkiv, Velikosoldat, and Bilovsky districts in Kursk Olast, and the Krasnoyaruz district in Belgorod Oblast, all of which also border Ukraine.

Operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kursk Oblast

On Aug. 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian Defense Forces began operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6 to push Russian troops back from Ukrainian border areas and reduce shelling on Sumy Oblast.

By Aug. 27, Zelenskyy clarified that Ukraine was not occupying Kursk but was disrupting Russian plans to establish a buffer zone in Ukraine.

On Sept. 2, he reported that the operation was progressing as planned and meeting its objectives.

By Sept. 6, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces controlled 1,300 square kilometers in Kursk, covering over 100 settlements.

The Financial Times noted on Sept. 7 that the operation had caused concern among the Russian elite.

On Sept. 11, the analytical portal DeepState reported that Russian troops had intensified assaults in Kursk, attacking from multiple directions.

By Sept. 12, Ukrainian troops had advanced through a new section of the Russian border in Kursk with the aid of drones and tanks.

On Sept. 13, Zelenskyy stated that the Kursk operation had successfully halted Russian advances in the Kharkiv direction and slowed progress in Donetsk.