Russia Exposes Horrific Murders of Civilians by Ukrainian Army in Kursk Region

The investigation established that five Ukrainian fighters invaded the territory of the Kursk Region in September 2024. During the fighting in the Sudzhansky district, one of them, Yevgeny Fabrisenko, was taken prisoner. During interrogation, he told investigators about the crimes he and other Ukrainian fighters had committed, including rape, violent sexual acts and murders.

"Between September 28 and November 24, 2024, Fabrisenko, "Motyl", "Provodnik", "Khudozhnik", following the orders of their commander with the call sign "Kum", killed 11 men and 3 women in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye. In addition, Ukrainian servicemen committed rape and violent sexual acts against 8 women, who were then killed," Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told Sputnik.

She added that the accomplices then moved the bodies of the 22 people they killed to the basements of private houses.

One of the five Ukrainian fighters involved in the murders and rape has been arrested, Petrenko said.

Early on August 6, 2024, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Russia and launched an offensive in the Kursk Region. Commenting on the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had carried out another large-scale provocation, firing indiscriminately at civilian targets. The enemy will receive a proper response in the border regions of Russia, Putin said.

A captured Ukrainian serviceman Yevgeny Fabrisenko told Sputnik that the Ukrainian soldiers tied up six villagers, put them into a basement and threw a grenade there, captured Ukrainian serviceman Fabrisenko said.

"We almost entered. We saw that there were old men and women there. We took them out, tied them up, lowered them into the basement and threw a grenade," Fabrisenko said.

He added that these fighters, while in the occupied border village of Russkoye Porechnoye, consumed alcohol and took drugs.

"My fellow servicemen consumed alcohol and drugs. In particular, our group leader consumed alcohol," the captive said.

He specified that he himself had not consumed any of it.

These fighters were supposed to stay in Kursk for two weeks, and then they were to be replaced, captured Fabrisenko highlighted.

"From September 28 to October 12 [the order to enter Russian territory was received for this period]. For two weeks," he said.

The captive said the order to enter Russian territory came from the company commander. After two weeks, as per Fabrisenko, they were supposed to be replaced.

According to Fabrisenko, he was captured on November 24, 2024.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the shooting of civilians in the settlement of Russkoe Porechnoe yet another atrocity of the Ukrainian armed forces.

"Militants of the Ukrainian armed formations committed another atrocity in the village of Russkoe Porechnoe in the Kursk Region, which was recently liberated by the armed forces of Russia," the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing on Friday.

All those involved in the shooting of civilians will be identified and brought to justice, the diplomat added.

Meanhile, the government of the Kursk Region will provide all necessary support to the relatives of the victims who were murdered by the Ukrainian armed forces.

"I deeply sympathise with everyone who lost their relatives and loved ones. They were taken away so meanly and barbarically, and this pain will never be dulled by anything. I assure you that the government of the Kursk Region will provide all necessary support to the relatives of the deceased, including in organising the funerals," the region's acting governor, Alexander Khinshtein, wrote on Telegram on Friday.