All Known Detained Kursk Residents Returned From Ukraine, Russia’s Human Rights Chief Says

June 29, 2026 Presidential Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova. kremlin.ru Russia has secured the return of all Kursk region residents known to have been held by Ukraine after it launched its border incursion in 2024, Russia’s human rights ombudsman told President Vladimir Putin on Monday. “We managed to persuade Ukraine and bring back home all the residents of the Kursk region who were being unlawfully detained in Ukrainian territory,” said Yana Lantratova during her first public meeting with Putin since becoming human rights commissioner last month. Her announcement follows the repatriation of five Kursk residents on Saturday, who were met by their families and Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein. “They’re all home now,” Lantratova told Putin at the Kremlin. Overall, regional authorities say 171 Kursk residents have been returned. However, the fate of 320 others remains unknown. Khinshtein noted that there is no confirmed information about any other Kursk region residents being held in Ukraine. “But we’re not losing hope,” he said this weekend. Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into the Kursk region in August 2024. They were forced to retreat in early 2025 after Russian forces, backed by North Korean troops, launched a counteroffensive. Regional officials previously estimated that more than 350 Kursk residents were killed amid the fighting. More than 150,000 people in the Kursk region were ordered to evacuate towns and villages near the border. Ukraine has had thousands of its own civilians held in Russian-occupied territory since the 2022 invasion. On Friday, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said he met Lantratova to discuss the exchanges of prisoners of war, as well as the search for missing people and the verification and release of civilian hostages. Read more about: Kursk Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Videos Show Russian Troops Retaking Kursk Region’s Sudzha Some independent military analysts are predicting that Russian forces will regain full control of the border region in the coming days. 2 Min read Feature ‘We've Been Abandoned’: Desperate Relatives Seek Loved Ones in Kyiv-Occupied Kursk as Peace Talks Loom Hundreds of Kursk residents are searching for their loved ones who remain in Ukraine-held territory. But they are getting few answers from officials. 5 Min read Russia Claims to Have Retaken 64% of Kursk Territory Lost After Ukraine’s Offensive “Currently the initiative in the Kursk region is fully on our side. Russian forces are advancing in all areas,” said Sergei Rudskoi, first deputy head... 2 Min read Over 100 Russians Evacuated to Ukraine After Deadly Kursk Region Strike – Washington Post Ukraine will attempt to reach an agreement with Russia that would allow evacuees to return to Russia via neighboring Belarus. 1 Min read