Telegram channels have recently reported allegations that Ukrainian forces are laying mines around civilian areas in the Kursk region to prevent evacuation and use residents as human shields.
Trying to Stop Evacuations
According to messages from the Telegram channel Mash and URA, Ukrainian troops are allegedly mining fields and roads in towns along the frontline with Russian forces, deliberately hindering local evacuation efforts.
The channel asserts that Ukrainian forces have surrounded the temporarily occupied towns with mines, leaving only specific corridors open for the safe withdrawal of their troops.
The reported strategy is intended to ensure that local residents cannot evacuate, thus potentially using them as human shields during conflicts.
Mirrors Accusations by Ukraine
This claim mirrors similar tactics alleged to have been used by Ukrainian forces in previous conflicts. Fighters from the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, have previously accused Ukrainian troops of employing civilians as shields in battles around Avdiivka, Bakhmut, and the Kharkiv region.
According to these reports, Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk) used civilians to shield their positions and placed poorly trained fighters in the way of advancing Russian troops.
In response to the ongoing conflict, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations has reported that over 10,000 residents from the Kursk region have been relocated to 153 temporary accommodation points across 19 Russian regions.
Over 480 temporary shelters, with a capacity of more than 38,000 people, are reportedly on standby. The acting governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, has noted that evacuation efforts in border areas are being conducted around the clock.
