What Do Moscow Media Say About Ukraine's Advance on Russian Soil?

Since the Ukrainian army began its advance into Russian territory, state and Kremlin-supporting media have sought to downplay the significance of the Ukrainian attack on the Kursk region, portraying it as a 'mistake' while repeatedly emphasizing President Vladimir Putin's 'proportional response' at the 'appropriate time.' These media outlets attempt to reassure domestic audiences that nothing significant has happened while politically propagating that Ukraine's offensive operation is not only a source of 'shame' for the Kremlin and the Russian army but will ultimately lead to a costly miscalculation for Ukraine. In the early hours of August 7, just before the war in Ukraine reached 900 days, thousands of Ukrainian troops crossed the western border of Russia and began their advance in the Kursk region. Vladimir Putin described the unprecedented advance of Ukrainian forces in the border province of Kursk as a 'terrorist and provocative act aimed at destabilizing border areas.' Although this is considered the largest foreign invasion of Russia since World War II, Putin has avoided any mention of this in his statements. This report examines how Russian media have reflected news related to this attack. In line with the Kremlin, the state newspaper 'Argumenty i Fakty' claimed, in accordance with the President's statements, that 'the border areas of Kursk are filled with the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers and have become a graveyard for enemy equipment and vehicles,' asserting that 'a considerable number of Ukrainian attackers have been killed.' The newspaper reported the Ukrainian casualties until August 22 as 'around two thousand,' a figure that, according to some estimates, exceeds the total number of Ukrainian forces involved in this operation. The report (translated as 'Arguments and Facts') claims that 'this figure only includes casualties that have been officially confirmed,' and continues its description of the current situation by stating: 'Who knows? Perhaps there are more corpses of Ukrainian soldiers in the forests, valleys, and pits around the roads that have not yet been discovered and identified.' This is just one example of how Kremlin-aligned media report on the latest developments in the Kursk border region. Since the beginning of Russia's extensive military invasion of Ukraine, independent reporting and journalism in Russia have been increasingly restricted and suppressed. The Russian President has previously stated that the country will effectively counter Ukraine's invasion. However, reports from international media on the latest developments on August 17 indicate that Ukrainian forces have taken full control of the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, the Ukrainian army is establishing a military command center in Sudzha, which is considered the administrative center of the Kursk border region and is also the largest area that the Ukrainian army has reported capturing since the beginning of its advance into Russian territory. Two days after the start of Ukraine's offensive operation, an independent media outlet called 'Meduza,' now based outside Russia, reported, citing an informed source, that the Kremlin had instructed all state and government-aligned media to refrain from describing the Ukrainian army's incursion into Kursk as a 'new front' in the war and to avoid mentioning the proximity of the conflict to the Kurchatov nuclear power plant. According to this unnamed media source inside Russia, the Kremlin has ordered media reports to focus on humanitarian aspects, such as 'blood donation campaigns or efforts to accommodate refugees,' rather than the battle itself. Downplaying an unprecedented invasion, in recent days, other claims made by Kremlin-aligned media have focused on the 'failure' of the Ukrainian army's operations on Russian soil. These media outlets assert that the Ukrainian army has dedicated abundant resources to a 'negligible achievement,' as they claim that Ukraine's invasion of Russia will have the opposite effect and will cause Russia to expand its objectives in the war against Ukraine. In the early days of the Ukrainian forces' incursion into Kursk, it seemed that the Kremlin and its affiliated media were unsure how to guide public opinion, but in recent days, their reports indicate a shift towards instilling calm and building trust among audiences. Vladimir Putin stated on the seventh day of the offensive operation on Russian soil that Ukraine will 'undoubtedly receive a proportional response' and that Moscow will achieve 'all designated goals.' The Russian government and, consequently, Kremlin-aligned media have consistently described their military invasion of Ukraine as a 'special military operation' aimed at preventing the expansion of NATO's military alliance and 'Western provocations.' Who leads Kremlin propaganda? Olga Skabieva, a host of the talk show '60 Minutes' on the state channel 'Russia 1,' described recent developments in the Kursk region by saying: 'Destabilizing and creating a sense of anxiety in Russia is impossible. On the contrary, they have enraged the Russian people, and now everyone is ready to take up arms and show them that they cannot behave this way with Russia.' At the same time, signs of concern have also been reflected in some coverage by Russian media. Despite her statements, Skabieva used a term in Russian to describe the current situation in the Kursk region that can be translated as 'complicated' or 'difficult.' Shielding against mistakes, some reports are also seeking to find a scapegoat, often blaming Chechen forces stationed in the area or General Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, whom many have accused of mismanaging the war in Ukraine. The newspaper 'Nezavisimaya Gazeta' reported in recent days that the Russian National Guard has repelled the Ukrainian army's 'counteroffensive' in the Kursk region. This newspaper, citing parts of international media coverage, including a report from the Associated Press, stated that the long-term establishment of Ukrainian forces on Russian soil would be very difficult, 'as their communication and supply lines are vulnerable to Russian attacks.' The destruction left by the Ukrainian missile attack since the beginning of the offensive operation in the Kursk region of Russia. The popular newspaper 'Moskovsky Komsomolets,' affiliated with the Moscow mayor's office, also claimed that the Ukrainian army's operations in the Kursk region are so chaotic that it is difficult to discern their objectives. This newspaper described 'many actions' of the Ukrainian army as 'meaningless' and wrote: 'It seems that even the Ukrainians themselves do not exactly know what their goal is [with these actions].' At the end of the article, this newspaper stated that 'overall, the situation remains very difficult but under control.' Meanwhile, the online newspaper 'Vzglyad' focused on the 'information space' instead of battlefronts, accusing Ukrainian security and intelligence agencies of spreading and promoting 'several fake reports and claims to create anxiety among residents of the region.' This newspaper cited an example of these 'fake reports' by referring to a photo of a 'Ukrainian nationalist' next to a sign that read '10 kilometers to the city of Kursk,' claiming without providing any evidence that this image had been manipulated by 'removing a zero from the number 100 kilometers on the sign' to show Ukrainian forces advancing. Photographic report: Images of areas of Russian territory captured by the Ukrainian army. The President of Ukraine announced that his country's forces have taken control of the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region of Russia. Sudzha is the largest area that Ukraine claims to have captured since the start of the attack on Russia on August 7. The senior military commander of Ukraine also stated that the Ukrainian army currently controls 82 settlements in the region and 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory. On the blame train towards the West, as has been customary in media coverage since the beginning of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, one of the central themes of official Russian media has been critical attacks on the West, accusing Western countries of supporting and directly intervening in Ukraine's attack on the Kursk province. Alexander Kazakov, a political commentator, claimed in an interview with the state television channel One that 'the clue to this matter leads to London. London is our worst enemy. They want to continue the war until the last Ukrainian dies.' Skabieva, a prominent host, also claimed without providing any evidence that the Ukrainian army had entered Russian territory 'with the full coordination and approval of the U.S. government and its President.' The newspaper 'Moskovsky Komsomolets' on August 10, in an 'exclusive' report and 'looking at the Kremlin's battle map,' attempted to assure readers that 'Putin knows what he is doing and will respond firmly at the appropriate time,' even if no significant reaction to Ukraine's invasion has been observed from Russian forces so far. Mikhail Rostovsky, the author of this report, stated that 'Putin is not willing to play by the rules set by Ukraine' and continued his argument by writing: 'Putin is under pressure to make hasty positions and decisions. Certainly, necessary actions will be taken, but at a time that is beneficial for Russia and the President, not at a time that aligns with the enemy's objectives.' He concluded his report by stating that 'driving the Ukrainian army out of the Kursk province will only be part of his (Putin's) proportional response.'