Moscow, Jan 19 (EFE).- Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal probe into the alleged murder of seven civilians by the Ukrainian army in the Kursk border region that is partially occupied by Kyiv forces, authorities said on Sunday.
The committee, which investigates serious crimes, alleged on Sunday that Ukrainian troops “committed the murder of at least seven civilians who were hiding in the basement of a house” in a village 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border.
Kursk, and in particular the Sudzha district where the alleged murder took place, has been the scene of fighting since Ukraine launched a surprise offensive to occupy the region last August, forcing the Russian authorities to evacuate numerous border towns.
Around 2,000 civilians are reported to still live in areas under occupation, according to Kyiv.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine in a statement of committing a “cannibalistic massacre of civilians.”
Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of committing war crimes since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. The allegations range from shelling residential areas to summary executions of civilians and prisoners of war.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023 for war crimes related to the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to territory under Russian control.
According to the UN, more than 12,000 civilians have been killed on Ukrainian territory since February 2022. EFE
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