Russia accuses Ukraine's Armed Forces of 'crimes' to derail ceasefire – ISW
Photo: Vladimir Putin, Russian president (Getty Images)
The Kremlin is likely preparing to strengthen its narrative about alleged "war crimes" by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. Russia may investigate several targets, one of which is to disrupt or delay negotiations regarding a 30-day ceasefire, according to the report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Before concluding, analysts highlight a series of recent events.
In particular, Vladimir Putin, other Russian government representatives, state-controlled media, and pro-Kremlin outlets have recently intensified accusations against the Ukrainian Armed Forces for committing "war crimes" in the Kursk region during their seven-month-long operation.
On March 13, responding to the proposal from the US and Ukraine for a temporary ceasefire, Putin asked whether Russia should allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to leave the Kursk region "after they committed a lot of crimes against civilians." The next day, he repeated his statement, accusing Ukrainian forces of engaging in "terrorism" in the region.
"The Russian Investigative Committee announced on March 12 that it is opening investigations into alleged Ukrainian war crimes in areas of Kursk Oblast that endured heavy fighting and announced the conviction of two Ukrainian soldiers for alleged "terrorism" and "war crimes" in Kursk Oblast on March 14," ISW states.
Additionally, Russian ultranationalist voices, including those connected to the Kremlin, have been increasingly amplifying Putin's statements and those from Russian state media, accusing Ukrainian forces of "war crimes," including the execution of civilians in the Kursk region.
Russian state media are also boosting pro-Kremlin figures, such as Acting Governor of Kursk Region Alexander Khinshtein, who has accused the Ukrainian Armed Forces of "war crimes" in the region since the invasion began in August 2024, with a notable intensification of these efforts from February 2025. However, their claims are not supported by evidence.
ISW conclusion
"Putin likely intends to use this narrative falsely portraying 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 spoil or delay discussions about a 30-day ceasefire, especially when contrasted with Putin's efforts to portray himself as a merciful leader," claim experts.
Additionally, Russian ultranationalist voices have used Putin's accusations and Russian state media's claims of Ukrainian war crimes to support their calls for Russia to reject any ceasefire in Ukraine and to justify the harsh treatment of Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield.
"ISW has frequently reported on the sharp uptick of confirmed Russian executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) on the battlefield in 2024 and early 2025 likely under orders from the Russian military command, and ISW observed a report of Russian forces executing Ukrainian POWs near Sudzha on March 13," Institute representatives added.
