June 17, 2024

A New Record of Complaints


A New Record of Complaints
Russian president Vladimir Putin during the program, "Results of the year with Vladimir Putin" kremlin.ru, wikimedia.commons

The independent investigative outlet Vazniye Istory (Important Stories) reports that, in April and May 2024, Russians submitted more than 1,400 complaints to the president about issues with compensation payments for damage from natural disasters, plus over 1,100 complaints about judicial protection from such disasters. This marks the highest number of complaints since observations began in 2016.

Among regional complaints to the president, issues with payments for lost property ranked second. The only more popular topic was additional regional benefits for various citizen categories, including participants in the Russian war in Ukraine and their families, which garnered over 2,000 requests.

Most complaints regarding flood victims came from Orenburg Oblast, with 740 requests in two months following the onset of the floods. On April 5, a dam failure in Orsk, Orenburg Oblast led to significant flooding and the displacement of numerous residents. At least six people in Orsk and one person in Orenburg died as a result of the flooding. Residents of Orsk protested against what they saw as insufficient compensation.

Residents of the Kurgan Oblast, who were also severely affected by floods, as well as those in the occupied Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, have complained about compensation payments. Earlier, Vazniye Istory reported that issues related to payments for lost housing were among the most frequent complaints coming from residents of the occupied regions since November 2022.

Additionally, many complaints are coming from Belgorod Oblast, one of the areas in Russia most impacted by the war. According to the local publication Fonar (The Lantern), more than 1,000 inhabitants of the region have been wounded by the war. In July 2023, Fonar reported that about 1,750 properties in the region had been destroyed beyond repair.

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