Kursk Residents Rally Against Termination of Vital Support Payments

On Monday, a group of residents from the southwestern Kursk region held a protest in response to the local government’s recent decision to discontinue monthly compensation payments for individuals whose homes were severely damaged during the conflict with Ukraine.

Since February, residents who were displaced in the region have been receiving monthly aid of 65,000 rubles (approximately $800), in addition to various other forms of support.

On Saturday, Alexander Khinshtein, the Governor of the Kursk region, along with First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, announced that the funds allocated for these payments would be redirected towards broader recovery and development initiatives beginning in January.

“We need to inject new energy into the regional economy,” Khinshtein stated in a message shared via Telegram.

Around 200 displaced individuals gathered on Monday outside the administration office of the Sudzhansky district in the regional capital to express their concerns that the cuts to payments would make it impossible for them to survive.

Footage released by the exiled news outlet Govorit NeMoskva depicted elderly women confronting one of Khinshtein’s advisers along with other officials.

“Ending the 65,000 rubles will lead us to homelessness and debt,” protested one individual.

In August 2024, over 150,000 people were ordered to evacuate from towns and villages close to the border following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine was compelled to withdraw earlier this year after Russian troops, supported by North Korean forces, successfully launched a counteroffensive.

Since then, displaced residents have organized multiple protests to voice their frustrations over poor living conditions and what they characterize as insufficient compensation.