Tula Region Moves to Evict Refugees From Temporary Shelters

Authorities in Russia's Tula region, south of Moscow, have decided to evict residents from local temporary accommodation centers that have housed refugees from Ukraine and Russia's border communities since 2022. Many are single mothers with children, older people, or recent arrivals who have not yet found work. They cannot go home because fighting continues where they lived, and many houses and even whole communities have been destroyed. The situation was described by the Bereg cooperative, whose report was translated by Meduza.

The decision and deadlines

In May 2026 the regional government issued a decree ordering refugees to leave by September 1, with only a few categories exempt. Residents say they were threatened with removal by OMON riot police. They appealed to the regional Social Protection Ministry, the prosecutor's office and Governor Dmitry Milyaev, and recorded a video appeal to Vladimir Putin. After it was published, Federal Security Service officers visited the resort and questioned residents. The deadline was moved to October 1, then October 15, and in early October management said there would be no more extensions. Local officials cited insufficient funding.

Compensation and obstacles

The resort currently houses 246 refugees, and about as many live in two neighboring centers. Authorities promise to reimburse rent for families with three or more children and for pensioners: up to 20,000 rubles for people living alone and up to 30,000 for families. Applicants need a rental agreement, which is hard to get from landlords. Anyone who moved in after July 1, 2025 is ineligible; residents estimate this applies to one in five. They fear losing their temporary registration, which they need for formal work, school enrollment and medical care. Refugees from the Kharkiv region face particular difficulty, as they have neither recognition as forcibly displaced people nor permanent residence registration in Russia.