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, Alexei Smirnov, told President Vladimir Putin and other security officials Monday the situation is “complicated,” with Kyiv’s forces having advanced 7½ miles into the country and now in control of 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,” Smirnov said, speaking 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, who convened the operational meeting with top security officials Monday, demanded that the military eject Ukrainian forces from Kursk and insisted that Russia would prevail.

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