Russians Evacuated from Kursk as Putin Grapples with Ukrainian Incursion

Nearly a week into a stunning Ukrainian incursion into western Russia, the acting governor of the Kursk region told President Vladimir Putin and other security officials that the situation is “complicated,” with Kyiv’s forces having advanced 7½ miles into the country and controlling more than two dozen villages.

“As of today, the enemy is in control of 28 communities, having advanced 12 kilometers into the Kursk region on a 40-kilometer-wide front,” Alexei Smirnov told the officials via video conference. “For us, the problem is that there is no clear front line, no understanding of where the [Ukrainian] combat units are. It is very important to know where the enemy is and at what time.”

Putin Orders Military Response

Putin, in the operational meeting broadcast on the Kremlin’s website, demanded that the military eject Ukrainian forces from Kursk and insisted that Russia would prevail.

“The main goal facing the Defense Ministry is definitely to oust and knock the enemy out of our territories and along with the Border Service reliably guarantee border security,” Putin said. “The enemy will certainly get an appropriate response, and all the goals facing us will undoubtedly be achieved.”

Putin also ordered the Federal Security Service and Russia’s national guard to enforce counterterrorism in the region, including countering Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance teams.

Civilians Evacuated

Even as Putin spoke, Russian officials were evacuating civilians from a second region, Belgorod, impacted by Ukrainian cross-border attacks, and Russian military bloggers reported fierce fighting to prevent Ukrainian advances.

The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced that residents were being evacuated from the Krasnaya Yaruga district near Ukraine’s border because of “enemy activity on the border.”

Smirnov said 121,000 people had been evacuated from the Kursk region to date.

Local officials admitted their lack of clarity even on the whereabouts of Ukrainian forces, while pro-Kremlin media outlets portrayed a one-sided battle dominated by Russia.

Incursion Exposes Russian Military Weakness

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have killed 260 Ukrainian troops in the past 24 hours, adding that Russia had repelled seven attacks on towns and villages in Kursk during that period.

However, the Ukrainian incursion has stunned and embarrassed Russia’s military, exposing its slow and lumbering approach against a nimble opponent.

One of Russia’s strongest advantages is its superior force strength, but Putin has also shown a willingness to accept massive casualties in the war.

Ukrainian Objectives and Impact

There remains little clarity on the number of Ukrainian forces deployed to the Kursk region, or the front-line positions of Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indirectly acknowledged Ukraine’s incursion and “the push to drive the war onto the aggressor’s territory.”

The incursion has clearly achieved at least one Ukrainian objective: breaking through the haze of Russian complacency about the war.

Pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov said the attack had triggered intense criticism of Russia’s military command, speculating that it could lead to changes in its leadership and steps to bring it more tightly under Kremlin control.

However, it remains difficult to see how the Kremlin could assert more control over the situation.