Authorities in the southwestern Belgorod region will halt housing compensation for some displaced residents starting in August, saying security has improved in a number of border areas and that they want to encourage residents to return to their homes.
A regionwide state of emergency was declared in the Belgorod region last August amid an uptick in Ukrainian attacks that coincided with a surprise incursion by Ukraine’s military into the neighboring Kursk region.
Earlier this month, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov restricted access to 14 border villages, saying more than 200 civilians had been killed since the start of the war.
But on Thursday, Gladkov announced that residents from areas where Ukrainian attacks have “dropped to zero” will be individually notified that they no longer qualify for housing subsidies.
More than 100,000 people have received a total of 1.3 billion rubles ($16.5 million) in housing aid since 2023, according to officials.
Gladkov said the list of locations deemed safe would not be made public to prevent “destabilization,” claiming such information could be exploited by Ukraine. Residents returning to undamaged homes will begin receiving utility bills again, he added.
“The cancellation of rent payments and the [resumption] of utility charges will not apply to destroyed or damaged housing,” Gladkov said.
Still, the decision sparked a wave of online criticism, with many accusing the authorities of acting without transparency or concern for civilian safety.
“Don’t you think you’ve played too much with people’s lives?” one user wrote on the social network VKontakte.
“Who gave you the right to decide for us where it’s safer to live?” another asked. “We’re not to blame for the situation, but you just keep throwing wrenches into the works. Shame on leaders like you!”
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