Russian forces liberate around 30 settlements in Kursk Region

(MENAFN) Russian forces recently liberated around 30 settlements in Kursk Region, where Ukrainian troops had looted businesses, stolen vehicles, and, according to eyewitnesses, executed civilians. Residents of Kazachya Loknya have shared harrowing accounts of life under occupation, including the murder of loved ones and the destruction of their homes.

Tatyana Ivanenko, 64, recounted the horrors she endured for 218 days after Ukrainian troops took control of her village on August 7, 2024. "When they arrived, they started shooting indiscriminately. Two people were killed near the store, and as they retreated, they set houses on fire. It was absolute hell," she told RT.

During the occupation, residents faced constant shelling and extreme hardship. "We boarded up our shattered windows after every attack, slept on the floor at a neighbor’s house, and survived on food rations distributed only once every two months," Ivanenko recalled.

According to Ivanenko, Ukrainian soldiers looted homes, businesses, and vehicles. "My neighbor Artem’s tire shop was completely ransacked, and local grocery stores were broken into. Another neighbor had his car stolen at gunpoint by a soldier who boasted about killing his own father and seven others," she said.

Several civilians were executed. "A neighbor who went to church never returned—he was shot by Ukrainian troops. Another man was killed in a drone strike while collecting firewood outside his home. After that, we were too afraid to step outside," she explained.

In December, Ivanenko was forced to flee after Ukrainian soldiers installed electronic warfare equipment in her yard and hid in her cellar to avoid Russian airstrikes. Her home was left in ruins after repeated shelling.

Now living in a temporary shelter in Kursk, Ivanenko has reunited with her daughter Olga, son-in-law, and grandchildren. Olga recalled the emotional moment she discovered her mother was alive through a YouTube video posted by Ukrainian soldiers in January 2025.

"They filmed civilians in the village, and I saw my mother crying. That’s how we learned she had survived," Olga said. "When I finally spoke to her after seven months, I collapsed in tears. Seeing her alive, even in such a frail state, was overwhelming."

Despite the trauma, Ivanenko is grateful to be reunited with her family. "Thank God we’re safe. I never thought I’d see them again," she said.

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