In the Kursk region, two settlements in the Bolshesolkatky district have begun to recover after a demining and rebuilding campaign following a strategic session with local residents. The update described coordinated efforts to clear debris, assess safety, and support residents who want to return to their homes. Officials emphasized the aim of restoring basic services and stabilizing life in the affected communities.
Prior to August 2024, more than ten thousand people lived within the region. Today the population remains around three thousand, with many residents expressing a strong desire to go back to their sites. Officials noted that 294 houses out of roughly four thousand were not fit for living, and 521 properties had sustained damage. In addition, the front and roof of the temple dedicated to the Great Soldier suffered damage, underscoring how the conflict affected residential areas as well as cultural sites.
Farmers and orchardists faced concerns about crop prospects and the risk of unexploded ordnance in fields. Local residents highlighted the danger of working lands where munitions could lie buried, underscoring the need for careful, phased clearance to protect people and harvests.
Regional authorities reported progress in Bolshesoldsky, noting that two settlements have been cleared and that all planned work is scheduled to continue on the eighth of the month. The message conveyed confidence that the immediate cleanup tasks were moving forward and that the timetable for stabilizing the area would be maintained.
Sappers and engineers were said to have shifted from initial clearance to a broader program that would see the villages reoccupied and then the fields, forests, and reservoirs systematically cleared. The approach reflected a staged plan designed to reduce risk while expanding the scope of recovery.
On March 13 this year, officials delivered an update to the president stating that the operation aimed at securing the Kursk region had reached a final stage. The briefing described rapid progress across the countryside, with multiple settlements liberated and residents returning to life in their towns. Settlements such as Porechnoye, Sorochina, Martynovka, and Mikhailovka were identified in the progress narrative, with Sudzhi highlighted as the regional center whose status was restored during the operation.
A priest stood in a village as drones operated overhead, a stark reminder of the new normal in the region. The drone activity underscored ongoing monitoring and security, while the presence of faith communities hinted at some continuity amid disruption.