Russian troops sent to the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine to “protect” local residents are now accused of looting and taking over people’s homes, repeating a practice they gained notoriety for in Ukraine on their own people.
Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov got an earful about the “outrageous” behavior of troops Thursday in response to an update about everything local authorities are doing to help those who’ve fled certain villages in the region as the war spilled over into Russian territory, the independent media outlet Govorit NeMoskva reports.
“Soldiers of the Russian Federation are finding their way into many homes (even though an emergency regime has not been introduced and they have no right to enter private homes),” one woman who identified herself as a resident of Novaya Tavolzhanka wrote in response to Gladkov's post on social media. Independent media outlets report that they verified the woman as a local resident.
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“They are living in our homes, leading an outrageous lifestyle, with alcohol and other things leaving behind garbage and filth, bathrooms and houses are fouled up, personal belongings and property are stolen,” she said.
“An ATV was stolen from our garage, which is now seen often around the outskirts of Novaya Tavolzhanka. In addition, people complained about a stolen trailer,” she wrote. “We don’t want our houses, which have already suffered from the actions of the armed forces of Ukraine, to now be a haven for the disgraces of our defenders!”
Another resident also chimed in to say many locals were afraid to leave their homes for fear of their belongings being stolen: “Many people don’t leave their homes just because the scumbags will make off with everything, even a hair straightener.”
Another resident wrote that he’d gone home for the first time on Wednesday only to find two houses broken into, with smashed windows and doors busted in.
“Everything was turned upside down, they were looking for small precious things, some of them were stolen, there were acts of vandalism in one of the houses, TVs were broken, furniture was ripped up. The soldiers are obviously living in the house, there are signs of [someone] living in the house,” he wrote. “The furniture is piled up, they are probably getting ready to take it. … Please protect our home from further looting.”
Several other residents fumed at the governor over not receiving the payouts promised by the government to relocate. Those who were ordered to evacuate from certain areas have complained that they were later billed by authorities for the evacuations.
Russian troops sent to Ukraine gained a reputation for looting from homes in the territories they claimed to be “liberating,” with some caught on camera carrying away toilets, household appliances, and electronics that they allegedly sold or gave as gifts to loved ones back home.
The independent media outlet MediaZona reported last May that in the first three months of the war alone, Russian troops sent 58 tons of goods home.
