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Moscow:
President Vladimir Putin has replaced the governor of the Kursk region — partly controlled by Ukraine — saying it needs a “crisis” manager, after residents voiced anger at the handling of the incursion.
Ukrainian troops launched a shock offensive into Kursk in August, forcing thousands to flee border areas. Ukraine’s army said in November it controls 800 square kilometres (310 square miles) of territory in the region.
Putin appointed Alexander Khinshtein — a prominent pro-Kremlin lawmaker — as acting Kursk governor late on Thursday.
“There is a need for crisis management there,” Putin said in a meeting with Khinshtein.
“The most important thing is to organise work on helping people,” he added.
Acknowledging communications failures, Khinshtein told Putin: “We have to do all we can so that all residents of Kursk region fully feel that they are part of our one big country.”
The previous regional chief, Alexei Smirnov, became acting governor in May and was inaugurated in September. He left voluntarily, according to the Kremlin and wrote on Telegram he has a new post.
Smirnov had drawn criticism over his appearances at televised meetings after the incursion, appearing formulaic and lacking a personal touch.
Putin considers Khinshtein “can better deal with this role”, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, denying there was any “grievances” against Smirnov.
Since August, Kursk locals have taken to social media to voice anger at the lack of warnings over the incursion and the handling of the crisis.
Some have created video messages to Putin pleading for help, though discontent is rarely shown on official media.
Some residents of Olgovka, about 17 kilometres (10 miles) from the border, said their village looks “like a scene from a horror film” and “we have found ourselves homeless”.
“Some of our fellow villagers were killed, some are missing, since evacuation was not announced and some did not have time to leave,” a village spokesman said.
At a public meeting last month, former Kursk governor Roman Starovoit, now transport minister, acknowledged the Russian military had looted in a district under their control, after official media blamed Ukrainians.
Starovoit told a Life News journalist Friday: “I hope (Khinshtein) will have enough experience to organise communications, first and foremost,” calling it a “shortcoming” of the ousted Smirnov.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
