Citizens of Slovakia and other countries have collected more than $52,000 for Russian civilians displaced by the Ukrainian incursion

Social activists in Slovakia have donated more than €52,000 to residents of Russia’s Kursk Region, who have been forced to abandon their homes since Ukraine’s incursion in August.

At a ceremony in Moscow on Wednesday the funds were formally handed over to Kursk representatives by the leader of the Slovak village of Smilno, Vladimir Baran, and former deputy of the National Council of Slovakia, Anton Korba, who initiated the campaign.

Baran, whose village has a population of just over 700, noted that the money was collected by ordinary people, including pensioners, not only from Slovakia but also from countries including the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Australia.

The donation to Kursk is “just a small thank you to the Russian soldiers who liberated Europe during World War II,” he said, as cited by TASS.

Korba added that it would be a “great honor for us to come to the Kursk Region” once “this whole tragedy is over.”

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Natalya Osipova, head of the Kursk Development Fund, who attended the ceremony, welcomed the donation, stating that the funds would be used for humanitarian aid to residents in border areas of Kursk Region.

“On behalf of the fund and all Kursk citizens, I am grateful that you have collected these funds. I assure you that every penny will go to good use,” she told the Slovak delegation.

“In light of recent events, our assistance primarily targets civilians who were forced to leave their homes and are now living in temporary accommodation centers,” she explained.

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Ukraine sent thousands of troops across the Russian border into Kursk Region in August. Officials in Kiev have stated that the incursion aimed to slow Moscow’s advances in the east and secure a stronger position in future peace negotiations.

The attack forced thousands of Russian civilians to flee border villages, but has since stalled. The invading forces, contained and pushed back by the Russian troops, have suffered over 34,000 casualties and lost hundreds of tanks and other heavy equipment, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.