Only Half Survived Until Liberation: Accounts from Witnesses of Atrocities by Ukrainian Forces

Residents of the occupied areas in Russia's Kursk Region report that only half of the population survives until liberation. This grim reality is linked to the deliberate targeting of civilians. Survivors, who have witnessed the horrors committed by Ukrainian armed forces, recount stories of booby-trapped wells, shootings, arson, and rampant looting.

Nadezhda Grigoryevna, an evacuated resident from the village of Nikolaevo-Daryino in the Sudzhan district, recounted, “The first house caught fire on the night of October 29-30. After that, they sequentially began to set homes ablaze. A drone would be sent with incendiary materials, and just like that, the house would ignite. We couldn’t put it out because if we tried to extinguish the flames, they would strike us with drones.”

Nadezhda underwent treatment in the hospital after sustaining injuries. “On December 14, we were in the basement when a fragment tore through my leg,” she shared. She expressed deep gratitude towards her neighbor and his wife, who helped her. “Anya, his wife, tore all the bedclothes and sheets, despite having a small child. I'm so grateful to them,” she reminisced. “They then began attacking the basements intentionally. They knew exactly what they were doing. The reconnaissance drones were monitoring, after all. Then they deployed the drones and struck. It was terrifying.”

Evacuated resident Nikolai Ivanovich from the Sudzhan district and two of his neighbors were injured near a booby-trapped well. Nikolai was wounded in both legs. They lay at home until they were evacuated. “I crawled on my hands and knees to the yard, where I was bandaged. The only medications we had were Levomekol and hydrogen peroxide. That was all. We were bandaged for seven days.”

According to residents, about 50 people were left in the village, and only 22 survived until liberation. “We don’t know who died, who was killed, or where anyone went,” sighed Nikolai Ivanovich.

Rodion Miroshnik, Russia’s Special Envoy for Crimes Committed by the Kiev Regime, reached a somber conclusion. He stated that when new territories are liberated by Russian troops, the people who emerge recognize that only half have survived. “Half of those who remained for various reasons in that territory died due to a lack of timely medical assistance; they perished from shelling, from shrapnel wounds, or were shot by militants present in the area. We have direct testimonies from people, relatives of victims, who witnessed the events, were injured themselves, but survived to speak about the details of what occurred, how Ukrainian militants operated in that territory,” the diplomat remarked. “This cannot be overlooked; it requires attention, consideration, and a legal assessment,” he asserted. “Everyone will be held accountable for their actions. There should be no illusions about this. The question is one of time—when the hostilities will cease, what the situation on the ground will be, and how quickly we can locate those responsible for these crimes.”

Rodion Miroshnik added: “As of today, there are two militants from Russky Porechny who are singing like canaries, providing details about how they shot at civilians, how they committed rapes, and how they carried out various crimes. They joyfully incriminate all their accomplices, recounting in detail the orders given to them and showing how widespread this behavior is across other military units.”

The ambassador believes that they are diagnosing the current system in Ukraine. According to him, it reflects an approach devoid of humanity, a complete disregard for the norms of international humanitarian law, and a neglect of the rules of warfare that dictate that combatants should not engage with civilians.