Putin angered the West over the Kursk offensive

Ukrainian soldiers have been advancing into Russia for a week. The Kursk offensive took Putin by surprise. Kiev expects attack from Russia.

Moscow/Kiev – Ukraine’s Kursk offensive enters its second week. Russia has reportedly evacuated 121,000 people from the Kursk border region. The entry of Ukrainian troops on Tuesday (August 6) came as a surprise to the Kremlin. Some analysts have speculated that the attack may have been a test of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin, on the other hand, seems to want to deny responsibility for the attack and its defense – according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Putin wants to shift responsibility for the response to other Russian military and government officials; He also blames Western invasion.

Statement on Putin’s Handling of Kursk Offensive – “Shifting Responsibility”

“Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to present himself as an effective and savvy manipulator of the situation,” ISW writes about the Kremlin leader’s handling of the Russian border region during the Ukraine war. The agency continues that the Russian president is “shifting responsibility for ongoing challenges in responding to Ukrainian aggression in the region to other Russian military and government officials.”

Kursk Offensive in Ukraine War: Putin Condemns Top Russian Officials

In the analysis, ISW notes a meeting outside Moscow on Monday (August 12) between the Russian president and top officials. Putin used a televised meeting with Russian defense chiefs and regional governors to rebuke the top officials present.

For example, Putin has condemned the governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov. The governor accused Putin of overstepping his bounds by discussing matters he said were the exclusive responsibility of the Russian Defense Ministry. ISW described the Kremlin’s decision to release the meeting’s transcripts as “a warning to other Russian officials to avoid commenting on the Ukrainian invasion of Russia”.

Putin’s search for criminals: “The West is fighting us at the hands of Ukrainians”

While Putin appeared to be trying to put Russian officials in their place and quell unwanted comments, the Russian ruler sought responsibility for the Ukrainian Kursk attack at a meeting on Monday – and condemned the West.

“The West is fighting us at the hands of the Ukrainians,” Putin said. Regarding the attack’s motive, the Kremlin leader said Ukraine was trying to improve its position ahead of possible negotiations “with the help of its Western masters.” He further threatened: “The enemy will certainly get the response he deserves and all our objectives will undoubtedly be achieved.”

After Kursk attack: Kiev prepares for Russian attack – “something colossal”

the sea Moscow Times On Monday, Putin ordered the “withdrawal” of Ukrainian soldiers from the Russian border. However, the Ukrainian government is also said to be anticipating a Russian counterattack in Ukraine. “Russia feels the need to give a very tough response, something grandiose, to show the world that something like Kursk will not go unpunished,” a Ukrainian source said. Moscow Times. A representative of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said that Ukraine is preparing for rocket attacks on government buildings in the Ukrainian capital.

According to a Ukrainian official, Russia could hit Kiev with hundreds of missiles “including cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.” Such an attack, he further explained, “will become a big problem for our air defenses. But I believe they can be stopped.”