President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Kyiv's incursion into southwestern Russia's Kursk region will not halt Moscow's advance in eastern Ukraine and vowed to deal with what he called Ukrainian "bandits" on Russian territory.
Ukraine's surprise incursion into the Kursk region on Aug. 6 has so far displaced around 130,000 people, with Kyiv's forces having seized control of dozens of towns and villages near the border in an attempt to divert forces away from the front line in eastern Ukraine.
However, Russian forces have pressed on with their advance in the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"Their calculation was to stop our offensive actions in key parts of the Donbas," Putin told a group of students in the republic of Tyva. "The result is known... They did not achieve stopping our advance in the Donbas."
The Kremlin leader made his remarks during an event marking the first day of the school year in Russia, as well as ahead of a visit to Mongolia, which borders Tyva.
"Yes, people are going through difficult experiences, especially in the Kursk region," Putin said. "But the enemy's main goal — to stop our offensive in the Donbas — was not achieved."
He added that Russian forces in eastern Ukraine were making advances at a "rate that we have not seen for a long time."
"Of course, we have to deal with these bandits that entered the territory of the Russian Federation, specifically the Kursk region, attempting to destabilize the situation in the border areas," Putin said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
