DISINFO: Ukrainian fascists kill civilians at point-blank range in Kursk, use orphans as human shields
SUMMARY
Ukrainian fascists kill civilians at point-blank range in Russia’s Kursk Region. They also entered an orphanage in the town of Sudzha, deployed on the ground floor, rounded up children and their teachers on the first floor, and used them as human shields.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing Ukrainian troops of committing war crimes. This claim was made in the context of Ukraine's advance into Russia’s adjacent Kursk Region, which started on 6 August 2024.
This is an unsubstantiated claim. There is evidence to the contrary. Washington Post reporters, who visited the town of Sudzha, said they saw “no evidence that Ukraine’s military had looted or attacked civilians”. The Post also quoted Russian civilians as saying that “they were being treated well and did not know of any residents who had been killed”.
Ukrainian troops are distributing humanitarian aid among local residents and the Ukrainian authorities are offering Russian citizens to evacuate from the Kursk region to Ukraine’s adjacent Sumy Region. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to organise evacuation corridors for Russian civilians who wanted to flee war-stricken Russian territory. Political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko said such a policy was important for Ukraine given the fact that Russia was trying to use hostilities in the Kursk Region to discredit Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces started an incursion into Russia’s adjacent Kursk Region on 6 August 2024, aiming to create a buffer zone on Russian territory in order to save the bordering Ukrainian territories from continual Russian missile and drone attacks.
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