Propagandists are spreading information about alleged “atrocities” by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. In particular, Russian State Duma deputy Mykola Ivanov accuses the Ukrainian military of creating “torture chambers in the homes of civilians”, burning down villages, and destroying social infrastructure. Proponents place particular emphasis on the “fate of 45 children” who were allegedly “taken to Ukraine for organ trafficking”, which “caused a drop in the price of donor organs in the West”. Additionally, there are allegations of “livestock and grain theft”.

The Russian People’s Deputy did not provide any independently verifiable confirmation of his statements. Similar statements are often spread by Russian propaganda for manipulation purposes without any factual basis. The claim about “decreasing prices for donor organs” is absurd and reinforces the already existing propaganda message about Ukraine as a “hub for illegal organ trafficking”. The organ transplant system has high standards of verification of their origin and international monitoring.

Such insinuations are aimed at diverting attention from Russia’s actions, in particular its aggression against Ukraine and the crimes committed within it by the Russian military. These statements are part of an information and psychological warfare aimed at discrediting Ukraine and creating a distorted reality for the Russian audience. In addition, in this way they aim to demoralize the opponent.