DISINFO: Ukrainians behave like Nazis in Kursk Region
SUMMARY
The Ukrainians are copying their Nazi predecessors in the Kursk Region. They relocate civilians (to Ukraine) and use them as slave labourers. They rob, maraud and commit violence against civilians in the Kursk Region. They must not be swapped. They are very lucky to have been captured rather than killed. It would also be nice to have a tribunal and hang the bastards, especially those who mistreat the elderly. The two Frenchmen, who raped a woman in the Kharkiv Region, must also be hanged.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives accusing Ukraine of war crimes and crimes against humanity. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's adjacent Kursk region.
There is no evidence to support the claims. A top Ukrainian official has suggested a humanitarian corridor for Russians living in the Ukrainian-occupied parts of Kursk by way of Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk said on 15 August 2024 that it was possible to arrange such a corridor through Ukraine's adjacent Sumy Region and later abroad. Vereshchuk also said a corridor towards Russia was possible should Moscow ask for it. Russia has not commented as yet. If Russian civilians arrive in Ukraine, they are expected to be moved to another country, from where they can reach Russia if they wish. In this case, they will have to spend some time in Ukraine while waiting for passage abroad.
Dozens of Russian POWs from the Kursk Region have been placed in a Ukrainian prison. They told reporters they were being treated humanely and had been provided medical treatment. These interviews were held in the presence of Red Cross officials.
Concerning the accusation against two French citizens who allegedly raped a Russian woman in the Kharkiv Region, it has been reported by pro-Kremlin outlets and cannot be independently verified. Similar accusations have been debunked before. Russia often uses such accusations against Ukrainian troops in order to cover up crimes committed by its own soldiers.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Ukraine’s advance into Russia’s Kursk Region is barbaric and terrorist, that Ukraine has used chemical weapons in Kursk, and that NATO is directly supervising Ukraine's advance into Kursk.