Russia to Host Int'l Teleconference on "Liberation of Kursk Region"

An international teleconference titled “Liberation of the Kursk Region” will be held on Zoom in the coming days, bringing together participants from 20 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. 

Organized by Russian authorities, the event aims to present what it describes as consolidated evidence of crimes committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) during an eight-month occupation of parts of the Kursk region.

According to a concept paper released ahead of the conference, the Russian Armed Forces successfully repelled the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region on April 26, 2025. Russian officials claim that elite Ukrainian units, equipped with Western-supplied weapons and supported by foreign military advisers, launched the operation as part of a broader strategy to boost Ukraine's negotiating position and demonstrate military strength. Russia, however, contends that the incursion primarily targeted civilians and led to serious human rights violations.

The event will include testimonies from eyewitnesses, reports on alleged atrocities, and analysis by military and legal experts. Topics to be addressed include the use of NATO and EU weapons against civilian infrastructure, evidence of inhumane or prohibited munitions found during post-conflict demining operations, and challenges faced by displaced civilians returning home from Ukrainian-held areas.

Among the scheduled speakers are:

Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry for crimes committed by the Kiev regime

Tatiana Moskalkova, High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation

Olga Kiriy, documentary filmmaker focused on the conflict in the Kursk region

Ivan Konovalov, military analyst and historian

Eyewitnesses of alleged abuses by Ukrainian forces

The session will be moderated by "Iulia Zhdanova", Head of the Russian Delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control.

Organizers state that the conference will provide simultaneous interpretation between English and Russian. The audience will include members of the diplomatic corps from the UN, OSCE, BRICS, and CIS states, humanitarian organizations, media, and civil society representatives.

In addition to reviewing alleged violations of international humanitarian law, the event is expected to highlight Russia’s efforts to investigate and prosecute those it holds responsible. Russian authorities have criticized what they describe as a Western-led disinformation campaign aimed at obscuring the Ukrainian military's actions during the conflict in the Kursk region.

While the Russian side frames the event as a platform for justice and truth, it is likely to draw international scrutiny and competing narratives given the ongoing tensions and divergent accounts of the conflict.