Around 20,000 Russian civilians remain in border areas of the southwestern Kursk region, authorities said Thursday, coming after more than 133,000 people were evacuated amid clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
Acting Kursk region Governor Alexei Smirnov provided the latest evacuation figures in a televised meeting with President Vladimir Putin and other government officials.
“As of today, 133,190 people have left, 19,376 people remain,” Smirnov said, adding that eight Kursk region districts with a combined population of more than 150,000 are currently under evacuation orders.
He did not provide an updated civilian death toll despite state media, citing anonymous sources, reporting that the number of people killed during the fighting in the Kursk region has more than doubled from the official figure of 12 people.
Smirnov last gave a civilian death toll at a meeting with Putin on Aug. 12, during which the Russian president abruptly interrupted the governor when he reported on Ukrainian military advances in the embroiled region.
Putin said Thursday that he planned to hold a separate call with Smirnov later in the day.
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