Ukraine Accuses Russia of Staging War Crimes in Kursk Region

Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) asserted on Monday that Russia is attempting to falsely accuse Kyiv's military of committing war crimes, as Ukraine presses on with a ground incursion into Russia's Kursk region.

According to the SBU on the Telegram platform, Russia might stage crimes to place the blame on Ukraine. Alexei Smirnov, acting governor of the Kursk region, was quoted by Russian state media on Monday, claiming that Ukrainian forces had used shells containing chemical weapons.

Reuters has been unable to independently verify these claims. Russian forces are currently struggling to repel what has been Ukraine's largest border incursion in almost 2.5 years of full-scale war. Smirnov mentioned that Ukraine had taken control of 28 settlements in the Kursk region, although Ukraine's military had not commented on the operation by Monday evening.

(With inputs from agencies.)