The Kremlin by its contradictory reaction to the situation in the Kursk region risks discrediting itself among certain segments of the population, rejecting the significance of the attack, presenting it only as a "provocation". This is stated in the report of the "Institute for the Study of War" (ISW), reports UNN.
Details
As the Institute notes, the Kremlin's response to the events in the Kursk region has so far been contradictory - Russian officials are trying to find a balance between presenting the events as a marked Ukrainian escalation and avoiding exaggerating their potential consequences and the risk of causing discontent within the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with members of the Russian government on August 7, accusing Ukrainian forces of a "large-scale provocation" in the Kursk region and instructing First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and regional authorities to coordinate assistance to the Kursk region.
Also that day, Putin met with Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, and Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov. The latter reportedly presented the situation in the Kursk region as largely under control, saying that Ukrainian forces attacked with about a thousand men and that Russian services had halted the AFU advance and inflicted significant losses, ISW noted.
In turn, the Russian defense ministry edited the August 6 report to remove claims that the attacking Ukrainian forces were merely a sabotage and reconnaissance group and that Ukrainian forces retreated, likely to avoid retaliating against patently false claims about the scale and tactics of the ongoing Ukrainian infiltration.
"the Kremlin is probably seeking to balance its messaging with two conflicting goals: to discredit Ukraine internationally for carrying out this attack on Russian territory and to avoid fueling domestic panic over the scale, consequences and possible results of the Ukrainian operation. However, the Kremlin risks discrediting itself among certain segments of the population by seemingly dismissing the significance of the attack, presenting it only as a "provocation," the analysts wrote.
Recall
On the morning of August 6, authorities in the Kursk region of rf complained of attempts "breakthroughs" into the region.
By the evening of August 6, the rf defense ministry claimed a "breakthrough" of the border in the Kursk region with the support of allegedly 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles and a mountain of equipment "destroyed" by them.
In the Kursk region of rf in local Telegram channels published a video of how Suja looks like today .
Russian dictator vladimir putin reacted 24 hours later to the events in the Kursk region of rf.