On the eve of Victory Day, a loud scandal erupted in Kursk related to a memorial panel that was supposed to feature portraits of veterans of the Great Patriotic War and fallen participants in a special military operation. As reported by Kurskie Izvestia, instead of photographs of the heroes, the panel featured seven images of American porn actor William Herrington. The incident caused a storm of indignation among local residents and forced the authorities to quickly intervene in the situation.

According to the city administration, responsibility for the replacement of the photos lies with a 16-year-old schoolboy who sent the actor's images as part of a project to collect portraits. The Kursk mayor's office has already sent a statement to law enforcement agencies to clarify all the circumstances of the incident. By the morning of May 9, the images had been replaced with genuine photographs of veterans, but the incident left a significant mark on the public consciousness of the region. The police are conducting an investigation to establish the teenager's motives and the possible presence of accomplices.

The memorial project was funded by a local charity that collected photos via email and social media. The organisers did not thoroughly check the incoming materials, which allowed the perpetrator to carry out the provocation.