Russian Foreign Ministry Falsely Claims Ukraine Is Setting Up "Concentration Camps" in Kursk

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova is spreading false claims about alleged "atrocities" committed by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD).

Zakharova claimed that Ukrainian military forces supposedly transported part of the civilian population out of the Kursk region and created "concentration camps" where, among others, children are allegedly being held. However, the spokesperson for the Russian ministry provided no evidence to support her claims.

"By aggressively promoting fake stories about “concentration camps,” a tactic used by high-ranking Russian officials, the Kremlin is attempting to divert attention from the crimes of Russian military forces in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, specifically the so-called “filtration” operations. Additionally, by spreading claims about the Ukrainian Defense Forces supposedly detaining children and relocating civilians, the enemy is once again trying to cover up its own crimes of abducting Ukrainian children," the CCD noted.

Previously, Russian propagandists circulated information in anonymous Telegram channels, claiming that units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including Polish, French, and American "mercenaries," were exhibiting "extreme cruelty" toward civilians in the Kursk region. The source of these claims was attributed to unidentified "security agencies" of Russia.

However, as the Center for Countering Disinformation pointed out, there are no "security agencies" in the Kursk region that could be cited, and these accusations are designed to dehumanize Ukrainians in the eyes of the Russian audience.

Earlier, pro-Kremlin Telegram channels also spread a fake video supposedly showing Ukrainian soldiers mistreating captured Russian soldiers in the Kursk region.