Acting Minister of Construction of Kursk Oblast, Alexander Afonin, issued an official letter stating that it is "impractical" to provide residents of the Sudzhansky District with vouchers for new housing, as it could lead to an "outflow of the workforce from the region." This information was reported to 7x7 by a source close to the Sudzhansky District deputies on October 18.
According to Alexander Afonin, the decree on compensation for homes destroyed by shelling was developed before the Ukrainian army’s incursion. After August 6, over 150,000 people were evacuated from eight districts. Afonin asserted that providing such a large number of residents with housing vouchers would result in a "significant outflow of the workforce from Kursk Oblast." He suggested delaying the discussion until "the counter-terrorism operation regime ends."
Afonin's remarks sparked outrage among residents who had been forced to leave their homes and currently lack the means to support themselves.
"[The authorities] are concerned that the slaves will leave, and there will be no one to work for Miratorg, Polin, and others... They're protecting the interests of oligarchs, not the people," residents of Sudzhansky District wrote in an online group.
Deputies of the Sudzhansky District Council filed complaints with the regional prosecutor and Vladimir Putin, stressing that Afonin’s statements violated the constitutional right to freedom of movement and choice of residence. Deputy Sergey Kondoyanidi expressed his frustration in an appeal to the president.
The Ukrainian army's incursion into Kursk Oblast began on August 6. Residents of Sudzha reported that the authorities failed to organize an evacuation, forcing people to flee the shelling in their own vehicles. According to Russian authorities, as of September 2024, more than 1,300 civilians remained in Ukrainian-occupied settlements in the Sudzhansky District.
Russian ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova stated that over 40,000 people had either refused to leave their homes in Kursk Oblast or had already returned. The total number of evacuees is estimated at 112,000.
