"Вы задаете вопрос, почему не было эвакуации. Я его сам задаю": курский губернатор Алексей Смирнов

"You're asking why there was no evacuation. I'm asking myself": Kursk Governor Alexey Smirnov commented on the complaints of Korenevsky residents. Volunteer Maria Skrob, at a meeting with Transport Minister Roman Starovoit and Governor Alexey Smirnov in Sviridovsky, said that her parents died in the Korenevsky District. Maria removed their bodies herself. She noted that no one warned the residents about the evacuation and raised the issue of the resignation of district head Maria Degtyareva. Yesterday, Skrob published a video from the meeting, where Alexey Smirnov commented on the complaints about the lack of evacuation in early August. 💬 "Investigative authorities are investigating." "Thank you, Maria. First of all, I express my condolences to him personally and to all those who suffered," Alexey Borisovich began. "It's pointless," Maria Skrob interrupted him. "Do you know how painful it is to know that your loved ones died simply because they were advised to leave?" "I wasn't interrupting you." "Excuse me." "You're asking why there was no evacuation. I'm asking the same question, because from the very first minutes, when all this started happening, I was expecting the same order from the military. I sent my deputies to the areas where they were until Sudzha was practically completely surrounded, and they evacuated people. And volunteers—we had about five thousand working with us, and they're still working, and not just you. And we're uniting them all, providing everyone with equipment whenever possible, including vehicles—I don't know why you didn't have any." "And we asked you for an armored vehicle, Marina Vyacheslavovna. What did you tell us? I don't have the right, that's all." "We gave them to everyone, and we're still giving them to everyone." Let's figure out why, perhaps due to some personal relationship with the head of the department, you weren't included on this list. I'll certainly look into it. Regarding the operational headquarters' decisions, the operational headquarters has been operating practically around the clock these past months. I ask you not to shout. I can't shout down everyone. Can you hear me? Well, it's hard to speak. And, of course, we also, especially on the first and second days, received very scant information from the territories, from unit commanders, but there was no centralized information. I can't tell you right now how the situation developed because the investigative agencies are working on it. I'm sure all residents of the Kursk region will receive an adequate response. I'm also waiting for it, so everyone will sort it out. Regarding the relatives, of course, we are working on this work systematically, to the best of our ability. I'm working with the Ministry of Defense. You asked where I get the lists. I'm working with Tatyana Nikolaevna Moskalkova, the human rights commissioner, and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We also work with the Red Cross and volunteers. That's where we get the information we publish. It's possible that some of it is inaccurate. 💬 "The governor doesn't have the authority to remove the head of the district." Regarding Marina Vyacheslavovna specifically, I had a very serious conversation with the head of the Sudzhansky District before and after the meeting, and he submitted his resignation to me. Under Russian law, in ordinary civil life, the governor doesn't have the authority to remove an elected head of the district. Therefore, I suggest Marina Vyacheslavovna do the same as the head of the Sudzhansky District. I'll now hand the microphone to Marina Vyacheslavovna. I wonder what she'll say. "Do you want to hear from the head of the Korenevsky District?" asks Maria Skrob. "No," several hundred Korenevsky residents shout in unison. "Dear Korenevo residents, I must answer the questions that have been raised here. Let's start, of course, with the medal (Korenevo residents were outraged that the head was given a medal – editor's note), which wasn't just given to me, but to all the heads of border districts. And what was it for? Two years..." Whistling and disgruntled shouts from the audience. "The audience is emotional. I suggest Marina Vyacheslavovna speak out on social media," Smirnov suggested. "No comments on social media," Skrob reminded her that comments on the head's page are closed. Degtyareva leaves the stage. Afterward, in an interview with RT, she announced that she was not resigning.