Ukraine is trying with its offensive in Russia to sow discord in Russian society, says President Vladimir Putin.
The main task of the defense department is, of course, to drive the enemy out of our territories, says Putin at a televised government meeting.
Russia has ordered the evacuation of parts of the Belgorod region on Monday. Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, is located near the Kursk region where Ukraine launched its ground offensive last week.
121,000 evacuated
On Monday, it is reported that another area in Kursk is being evacuated, writes the region's governor Aleksej Smirnov on social media.
According to him, 121,000 Russians have been evacuated and 28 areas with around 2,000 inhabitants are currently controlled by Ukrainian soldiers. He also reports that twelve civilians have been reported dead and over 120 have been injured.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj confirmed on Monday in a video on Telegram that Ukrainian forces are operating in the Kursk region. He praised soldiers and commanders for their "steadfastness and determination".
Better negotiating position
According to Vladimir Putin, the offensive in Kursk is a Ukrainian attempt to stop Russia's offensive in the Donbass region and an attempt to gain a better negotiating position in future talks.
According to Putin, Ukraine has failed to destabilize the situation within Russia, and the number of volunteers joining the Russian military has increased, he says.
The offensive is likely the largest so far from Ukraine on Russian soil since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighboring country in February 2022.
From the Russian side, reports are emerging that Ukraine appears to be digging trenches and building field hospitals in the Kursk region, reports The Telegraph.
