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Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attempting to destabilize Russia with its recent incursion into the Kursk region and has warned of a strong Russian response.

What Putin said: In a televised meeting with Russian governors, Putin said, “The enemy will continue to try to destabilize the situation in the border zone, in order to shake up the internal political situation in our country.” He added, “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces are increasing dramatically for them, including among the most combat-ready units, units that the enemy is transferring to our border. The enemy will certainly receive a worthy response, and all the goals facing us will, without a doubt, be achieved.”

What’s going on: Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is a significant change in the war, with Ukrainian forces seizing approximately 1,000 square kilometers of territory. This operation, the largest cross-border action by Ukraine since the war began in 2022, has taken Russian forces by surprise. Ukraine is now fortifying its positions by constructing trenches and reportedly deploying additional troops, signaling possible intentions to secure or expand their territorial gains.

Ukrainian intel claims Russia is preparing to stage war crimes: Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) released a brief statement, saying they had recorded “attempts” by Russian forces to “use the situation in the Kursk region to baselessly accuse Ukrainian defenders of committing war crimes.” The SBU added, “In the near future, the Russian special services may resort to staging crimes, in particular against the civilian population of the Kursk region, in order to later accuse the Ukrainian side of committing them.”

China speaks out:In a brief statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on both Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate the situation. They added that there should be “no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no fuelling the flame by any party.”