Kursk region governor Alexander Khinshtein reported that 576 local residents remain unaccounted for after Ukrainian forces took control of the area. These individuals were listed in a missing persons registry following the military operation.
The missing include four children under 18 years old. According to Khinshtein, the registry initially contained over 2,200 names. Authorities have since located 1,290 people and identified the "approximate whereabouts" of an additional 421 individuals.
Meanwhile, officials in Ukraine's Sumy region have ordered the compulsory evacuation of 11 more villages due to ongoing shelling. A regional statement explained: "This measure was taken because of the persistent threat to civilian lives from attacks on border communities."
With this latest order, 213 settlements in Sumy region now fall under mandatory evacuation orders. On May 25, Russia's Defense Ministry announced that after pushing Ukrainian forces out of Kursk region, Russian troops began establishing a "security buffer zone" along the border.