I see it as deterrence, even if it is a completely fabricated claim by the US. If you can convince Ukrainians that a Russian invasion would result in these kin

I see it as deterrence, even if it is a completely fabricated claim by the US. If you can convince Ukrainians that a Russian invasion would result in these kind of terrible things happening, then they're much more likely to put up a bloody fight. This then increases the cost and risk of Russia invading Ukraine in the first place, which serves as deterrence.