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This is Svetlana Bronnikova from the independent outlet 7x7. A year has passed since Russian authorities announced the return of control over the border districts of the Kursk region, where fighting took place in the summer and autumn of 2024. However, for many residents of the Kursk region and neighboring territories, the war did not end there. People are still unable to return home, struggling for months to obtain payments and housing certificates, while part of the state-promised aid is gradually disappearing.

Evacuation and initial payments

When the hostilities and shelling began, thousands of residents from Sudzha and nearby villages fled their homes. People were evacuated to other districts within the region or to neighboring provinces; they were placed in temporary accommodation centers, while some refugees moved in with relatives or into rented apartments.

Following the evacuation, authorities announced support measures. More than 113,000 people received a one-time payment. Additionally, victims were granted a monthly compensation of 65,000 rubles. People used this money to pay for rent and cover basic expenses.

However, these payments were later cancelled. For many families, the revocation of these funds was a serious blow: they still have no way to return home, and alternative support has proven insufficient.

Not all refugees receive housing certificates

One of the primary forms of aid was housing certificates — the state promised to compensate for the cost of lost housing. In practice, however, obtaining them has proven difficult.

Under current regulations, certificates are issued only to those whose homes are more than 80% destroyed. To confirm this, commissions must inspect the houses and file an inspection report. However, in some settlements, commissions cannot conduct inspections due to ongoing shelling or the difficult situation at the border.

As a result, many residents remain in limbo: their homes are damaged but are not officially recognized as destroyed. Without this document, people cannot receive compensation and begin building a new life.

Some families have lived in temporary accommodation centers or rented apartments for nearly a year. Others have moved to various cities across Russia and are trying to settle there, unsure if they will ever be able to return.

Protests and appeals to authorities

Discontent with the situation is gradually mounting. Residents of the Sudzha district are recording video appeals, holding community rallies, and demanding that authorities reinstate payments and accelerate the issuance of certificates.

In these appeals, people say they feel forgotten. They remind the government that they did not lose their homes and their way of life by choice and are counting on state support.

"We don’t understand what we are being punished for. We have been punished enough already," said a mother of many children from Sudzha in a video appeal published in January. She has lived in a temporary accommodation center for a year and a half after being denied a housing certificate.

Following the cancellation of monthly compensations, nearly 200 Sudzha residents held a rally in Kursk in front of the Sudzha district administration building. The people appealed to President Putin and Governor Khinshtein, demanding the return of payments and housing certificates for all victims. Some residents find themselves in a situation where they must pay rent in Kursk while simultaneously paying off mortgages or loans for the renovation of their destroyed homes. At the rally, Governor’s advisor Viktoria Penkova stated that the residents themselves should have defended their homes from the AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine).

Remembering the fallen

Another topic discussed by local residents is the tragedy at the Sudzha boarding school. A year ago, the building was hit by an airstrike, resulting in fatalities. For district residents, this remains one of the most painful memories of the war.

However, the regional authorities practically ignored the anniversary of the tragedy in public. For many locals, this was a painful signal: they feel their losses and suffering are gradually disappearing from the public agenda.

"Liberation" vs. reality

Meanwhile, regional authorities hold events and exhibitions dedicated to the "liberation" of the borderlands. Official reports emphasize that life is gradually returning to normal.

But residents say the reality looks different. Many homes remain in ruins or are heavily damaged, infrastructure has not been restored, and the territory remains unsafe. Some settlements are still virtually empty.