Russia pushes false claims of Ukrainian “war crimes” in Kursk to derail ceasefire talks — ISW

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials are reinforcing a false narrative accusing Ukrainian forces of war crimes during operations in the Kursk region in an attempt to disrupt negotiations on a 30-day ceasefire.

Rubryka reports this, citing the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

"The Kremlin is likely preparing to intensify a narrative that accuses Ukrainian forces of war crimes in Kursk Oblast in an attempt to discredit the Ukrainian military, erode Western support for Ukraine, and spoil or delay straightforward discussions about the 30-day ceasefire that US President Donald Trump proposed to Putin," analysts said.

Experts note that the Kremlin leader, other pro-Russian figures, Russian state media, and pro-Kremlin mouthpieces have recently intensified claims accusing Ukrainian forces of committing war crimes in the Kursk region during the seven-month invasion.

On March 13, in response to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Ukraine, Putin questioned whether Russia should allow Ukrainian forces to leave the Kursk region "after they committed many crimes against civilians." On March 14, he repeated claims that Ukrainian forces had allegedly committed "terrorism" in the Kursk region.

"Russian ultranationalist voices, including those with Kremlin affiliations, have been amplifying Putin's statements and Russian state media claims accusing Ukrainian forces of war crimes, including executing civilians in Kursk Oblast, more frequently in recent days.

Russian state media has amplified pro-Kremlin voices, including Acting Kursk Oblast Governor Alexander Khinshtein, accusing Ukrainian forces of war crimes in Kursk Oblast since the start of the incursion in August 2024 but has intensified these efforts since February 2025. These claims are unsubstantiated," ISW experts note.

Experts suggest that Putin likely intends to use this narrative, falsely labeling Ukrainian forces as "brutal war criminals"—as the Kremlin did in late 2021 and 2022 to justify Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine—to derail or delay talks on a 30-day ceasefire, particularly as he seeks to portray himself as a "compassionate leader."

"Russian ultranationalist voices used Putin's and Russian state media's allegations of Ukrainian war crimes to support their calls for Russia to reject any ceasefire in Ukraine whatsoever and to justify the brutal treatment of Ukrainian forces on the battlefield," the analysts explained.

The review adds that ISW has frequently reported a sharp increase in the number of confirmed Russian battlefield executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war in 2024 and early 2025, likely on the orders of the Russian military command. ISW also observed reports of executions by Russian forces of Ukrainian prisoners of war near Sudzha on March 13.

Key ISW takeaways as of March 15

• Russian milbloggers and Ukrainian officials continue to deny Russian President Vladimir Putin's unsubstantiated claim that Russian forces have encircled a significant number of Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast.
• Russian forces continued offensive operations in Kursk Oblast but have not completely pushed Ukrainian forces out of the area as of this publication.
• Ukrainian officials expressed concern about Russian ground operations in northern Sumy Oblast but doubt Russia's ability to conduct an effective concerted offensive operation against Sumy City.
• The Kremlin is likely preparing to intensify a narrative that accuses Ukrainian forces of war crimes in Kursk Oblast in an attempt to discredit the Ukrainian military, erode Western support for Ukraine, and spoil or delay straightforward discussions about the 30-day ceasefire that US President Donald Trump proposed to Putin.
• Russian forces conducted drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of March 14 to 15, including conducting their third double-tap strike against Ukraine in the past week.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed the official Ukrainian delegation to "engage with Ukraine's international partners" in the negotiation process to end the war on March 15.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk.

Ситуація в Курській області

Over the past seven months, Russian forces have steadily pushed Ukrainian troops out of populated areas. In early March, fighting in the region intensified significantly. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported substantial Russian advances in the Kursk region.

Previously, the Russian Telegram channel Mash claimed that Russian troops were attempting to seize control of the so-called "lifeline"—the only paved road connecting the Ukrainian town of Yunakivka to the Russian town of Sudzha—in an effort to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines and logistics.

By March 11, reports indicated that Russian forces had entered Sudzha, prompting Ukrainian troops to withdraw. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, confirmed that heavy fighting continued, particularly in the suburbs of Sudzha and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky stated that the primary objective of the Kursk operation had been achieved: to withdraw Ukrainian forces from Pokrovsk, the Kharkiv sector, and Sumy.