MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin ordered his army on Monday (Aug 12) to “dislodge” Ukrainian troops who have entered Russian territory as authorities said over 120,000 people had been evacuated away from the fighting.
Kyiv launched a surprise offensive into Russia’s western Kursk region last Tuesday, capturing over two dozen settlements in the most significant cross-border attack on Russian soil since World War II.
“One of the obvious goals of the enemy is to sow discord, strife, intimidate people, destroy the unity and cohesion of Russian society,” Putin told a televised meeting with government officials.
“The main task is, of course, for the defence ministry to dislodge the enemy from our territories,” he said.
Some 121,000 people have fled the Kursk region since the start of the fighting, which has killed at least 12 civilians and injured 121 more, regional governor Alexei Smirnov told the meeting with Putin.
Authorities in Kursk announced on Monday they were widening their evacuation area to include Belovsky district, home to some 14,000 residents. The neighbouring Belgorod region also said it was evacuating its border district of Krasnoyaruzhsky.
Ukraine has pierced into the region by at least 12km and has captured 28 towns and villages, with the new front 40km long, Smirnov said.
A top Ukrainian official told AFP over the weekend that the operation was aimed at stretching Russian troops and destabilising the country after months of slow Russian advances across the frontline.
Putin said Russia would respond by showing “unanimous support for all those in distress” and claimed there had been an increase in men signing up to fight.
“The enemy will receive a worthy riposte,” he said.
“MAXIMUM LOSSES”
The assault appeared to catch the Kremlin off guard. Russia’s army rushed in reserve troops, tanks, aviation, artillery and drones in a bid to quash it.
But it conceded on Sunday that Ukraine had penetrated up to 30km into Russian territory in places.
It said some forces were near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, around 25km and 30km from the Russia-Ukraine border.
A Ukrainian security official told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that “the aim is to stretch the positions of the enemy, to inflict maximum losses and to destabilise the situation in Russia as they are unable to protect their own border”.
 to "dislodge" Ukrainian troops who have entered Russian territory as authorities said over 120,000 people had been evacuated away from the fighting. Kyiv launched a surprise offensive into Russia's western Kursk region last Tuesday, captu){kind=link}