Reports from international courts or tribunals

Russia Opens Terrorism Probe After Seven Civilians Found Dead in Kursk Region

Jan 19, 2025, 09:12 AM

Russian authorities have launched a terrorism investigation following the discovery of seven civilian bodies in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye, located in the Sudzha district of Russia's Kursk region. The victims, primarily elderly residents, were reportedly tortured and killed by Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers during the village's occupation. Russian military personnel found the bodies in the basements of residential buildings on January 18 after the area was recaptured. According to reports, the victims, whose hands were tied, were driven into basements, where grenades were thrown at them. The Russian Investigative Committee has vowed to identify and prosecute those responsible. Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, condemned the incident, describing it as evidence of the 'terrorist and neo-Nazi nature' of the Ukrainian regime. The Kursk region had been partially occupied by Ukrainian forces since August 2024, with Russkoye Porechnoye under their control until January 2025.