Ukraine Invaded Russia. Here’s What It Was Like for Civilians.

Russians in the area of Ukraine’s invasion have described seeing signs of violent encounters, as well as respectful treatment from Ukrainian troops.

The drone flying over Korenevo village, in the Kursk region of Russia that Ukraine invaded in August, recorded a grisly scene: at least seven bodies lying on the road, most of them in civilian clothes.

Destroyed cars were scattered on the roadside, some with corpses in them. One man lay entangled with a red bicycle. Some bodies had decomposed so badly in the summer heat that they had to be identified by their teeth, according to a volunteer who helped recover the remains.

The video and photographs that captured the scene were taken in the early days of Ukraine’s offensive, the first invasion of Russian territory since World War II. The area was heavily contested by Russian and Ukrainian troops, with weapons fired in both directions, so it is impossible to determine who was responsible for the deaths with available information.

But the Korenevo casualties represent the clearest known example of the toll on Russian civilians of Ukraine’s seizure of territory in Kursk. They also highlight the unexpected position Ukraine is in — an invading and occupying force for the first time in two and a half years of war.

Since Ukrainian forces made their surprise incursion into western Russia over two months ago, the experience of ordinary Russians has been difficult to gauge. Cellphone towers have been destroyed, making it hard to reach residents. The region is largely closed to independent reporters, and propaganda has dominated news coverage, as both Russia and Ukraine have reasons to play down the human toll.