Russian blogger Roman Alekhin urges mass evacuation as Kursk faces annihilation
A popular Russian military blogger has appealed to Russians living in Kursk Oblast, advising them to evacuate their homes immediately without looking back at their property. He warned that the planned counteroffensive is intended to wipe out settlements where Ukrainian forces are present.
"Countrymen, I ask you to make the decision to evacuate today. (...) Everyone must understand the most important thing: if a settlement in Kursk Oblast is under enemy control, it no longer exists. It just doesn't exist. During the counteroffensive, it is highly likely to be wiped off the face of the earth," Roman Alekhin, a Russian military blogger with 188,000 followers on Telegram, appealed.
He noted that the Russian army would have to recapture the territory "with the civilian population in mind, affecting their efficiency." "Anyone attached to their property must understand that they will lose it, and most likely, the war will take their life!" he warned.
The post indicates that the Russian army is preparing a brutal response to the Ukrainian success of capturing 487 square miles of Russian territory. "Russians threatening to turn Russia into ruins," commented Anton Gerashchenko, former advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
The Kursk operation embarrasses the Kremlin. They've had enough
- A brutal response cannot be ruled out because such action suits the Russian army. After all, we have seen the rubble of cities like Bakhmut or Lysychansk, which were steamrolled by artillery. It is possible that the local Russian authorities pressured the evacuation of 200,000 people from border areas to ensure the army's freedom - commented Prof. Krzysztof Żęgota from the Institute of Political Science at the University of Warmia and Mazury. He studies security policy in Russia.
- The occupation of Russian territory is an insult to Putin and a personal failure. The Russians have already felt that the war has come to them - he added.
Recently, we described that the media statements of residents of Kursk Oblast, taken under Ukrainian occupation, are a source of political trouble for the Kremlin. The Russians praised humanitarian aid provided by the Ukrainian military and, contrary to Russian propaganda, said they were well treated. Moreover, they called for an end to the war.
Prof. Żęgota suggests that the Russians have not yet been able to deal with the Ukrainian action, but the Kursk operation did not meet its military objective. - In this context, it was understood as forcing Russia to direct a significant number of troops to this region. It was supposed to ease the front in Donbas. Meanwhile, the Russians are pushing forward there and probably heading towards a battle for the city of Pokrovsk - the expert assessed.
Shock in Russia. Zelensky presses on, publishes a video
Meanwhile, in Russia, President Vladimir Putin met with the head of the army, General Valery Gerasimov. The Kremlin stated that they discussed combating hostile invading forces on Kursk Oblast and taking measures to destroy them.
"The Kremlin's choice of language was a break from previous statements that downplayed the surprise Ukrainian move. While it has visibly rattled Moscow, Ukraine's Kursk operation has not slowed Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine," commented the independent Russian service The Moscow Times after the meeting.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video showing him standing in a hilly, wooded area that is said to be near the place where Ukraine launched an offensive on Kursk on August 6.
"What the enemy brought to our land has now returned to its home," Zelensky said in the video, adding that Russia will "know what retribution is." The Ukrainian president added that one of the aims of the Kursk operation in Kyiv was to show the Russians that Putin's occupation of Ukraine was more important than protecting his own people.
On Monday morning, Russia carried out one of its largest air attacks so far using 100 missiles and drones. Russian social media boasted videos showing hundreds of civilians sheltering from the attack in the subway in Kyiv.
