KURSK, March 15. /TASS/. The work to demine the liberated territory of the Kursk Region has begun, Alexander Khinshtein, the region's acting governor, said on his Telegram channel.
"Engineering troops have already started demining the liberated territory," he wrote.
According to the acting regional head, the Ukrainian armed forces continue to shell settlements in the Kursk Region using cluster munitions fired by multiple rocket launchers and dropping Lepestok anti-personnel mines. "After the liberation of settlements by our servicemen, it is natural that many people want to return to their homes or at least retrieve the necessary belongings as soon as possible, and to prepare their land farms for spring planting. But doing it now is extremely unsafe," the acting governor wrote, noting that the territory is filled with mines and a great number of undetonated munitions.
According to him, the military requires time to shift the line of contact to a safe distance, as well as to demine the territory. "Until this work is completed, and until we are sure that our people are not threatened by anything, we cannot afford to risk the lives of civilians," he added.
It was earlier reported that the authorities of the Kursk Region imposed a restriction on visiting some settlements in border areas of the region starting March 15 due to undetonated mines and munitions present there.