MOSCOW: An official in Russia’s Kursk border region partly occupied by Ukraine told AFP that authorities were working “constantly” to secure the return of Russian civilians caught behind the front lines — after facing rare public criticism.
Ukraine launched a surprise offensive into the Kursk region last August, seizing dozens of towns and villages in a shock setback for Moscow.
Hundreds were unable to evacuate and are now living in Ukrainian-controlled territory — cut off from communication with Russia.
In rare displays of public criticism amid Russia’s crackdown on dissent, some of their relatives have taken to speaking out against the authorities over the lack of information and failure to secure their return.
“Federal agencies and structures, and also the government of the Kursk region, are carrying out constant work in order to achieve concrete results in searching for and returning residents of Kursk region, with whom relatives have lost contact,” Kursk’s acting information minister, Mikhail Shumakov, said in a letter, dated Tuesday, sent to AFP.
He was replying to a request to comment on accusations from a Kursk woman, Lyubov Prilutskaya, who is campaigning to raise attention of the issue through posts on social media and interviews.
Her parents, who lived in a border village captured by Ukraine, have been missing since August.
Some relatives this week posted photos of their missing relatives on Russian social media platform VKontakte, saying around 3,000 civilians remain in Kyiv-controlled areas of the front-line Sudzha district.
They urged “the leadership of the two countries and international organizations to help save the lives of our family members.”
Kursk authorities in their letter acknowledged a list of 517 missing people published by rights ombudswoman Tatiana Moskalkova was “not comprehensive.”
A Ukrainian military spokesman for Kursk said this month that around 2,000 civilians remained in Kyiv-held territory.
Dozens of local residents forced to leave their homes by Ukraine’s offensive held protests in the main city of Kursk on Saturday and Tuesday, complaining about poor conditions for evacuees and demanding direct dialogue with authorities.
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Russia working ‘constantly’ to return Kursk residents: official
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Russia working ‘constantly’ to return Kursk residents: official
- Hundreds were unable to evacuate and are now living in Ukrainian-controlled territory — cut off from communication with Russia
- Some relatives this week posted photos of their missing relatives on Russian social media platform VKontakte
Japan protests China comments on reviving ‘militarism’
TOKYO: Tokyo said it had lodged a “stern demarche” to China through diplomatic channels after Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi accused “far-right forces” in Japan of seeking to revive militarism.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Wang weighed in on Beijing’s current relationship with Tokyo, which has been under heavy strain since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Taiwan in November.
Wang said that “Japanese people should no longer allow themselves to be manipulated or deceived by those far-right forces, or by those who seek to revive militarism.”
“All peace-loving countries should send a clear warning to Japan: if it chooses to walk back on this path, it will only be heading toward self-destruction.”
Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the claims in a post on X Sunday as “factually incorrect and ungrounded.”
“Japan’s efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities are in response to an increasingly severe security environment and are not directed against any specific third country,” the statement said.
It said there were “countries in the international community that have been rapidly increasing their military capabilities in a non-transparent manner” but added that “Japan opposes such moves and distances itself from them.”
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi made his stance clear at another session of the conference, followed by a stern demarche against the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, the statement said.
Just weeks into her term, Takaichi said Japan would intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.
Beijing claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
Takaichi was seen as a China hawk before becoming Japan’s first woman prime minister in October.
She said last week that under her leadership Japan — which hosts some 60,000 US military personnel — would bolster its defenses and “steadfastly protect” its territory.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Wang weighed in on Beijing’s current relationship with Tokyo, which has been under heavy strain since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Taiwan in November.
Wang said that “Japanese people should no longer allow themselves to be manipulated or deceived by those far-right forces, or by those who seek to revive militarism.”
“All peace-loving countries should send a clear warning to Japan: if it chooses to walk back on this path, it will only be heading toward self-destruction.”
Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the claims in a post on X Sunday as “factually incorrect and ungrounded.”
“Japan’s efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities are in response to an increasingly severe security environment and are not directed against any specific third country,” the statement said.
It said there were “countries in the international community that have been rapidly increasing their military capabilities in a non-transparent manner” but added that “Japan opposes such moves and distances itself from them.”
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi made his stance clear at another session of the conference, followed by a stern demarche against the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, the statement said.
Just weeks into her term, Takaichi said Japan would intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.
Beijing claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
Takaichi was seen as a China hawk before becoming Japan’s first woman prime minister in October.
She said last week that under her leadership Japan — which hosts some 60,000 US military personnel — would bolster its defenses and “steadfastly protect” its territory.
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