Putin Anger as He's Told Ukraine Controls 28 Kursk Settlements: Watch

Russian President Vladimir Putin was told Monday that Ukraine currently controls 28 settlements in the Kursk region, as Russia expanded its evacuations amid Kyiv's ongoing cross-border offensive.

The Russian state-run news agency, RIA Novosti reported on its Telegram channel that Putin had a meeting with top Russian security officials where he was notified by the acting Kursk governor that "the situation in the region is difficult" and noted that Ukraine currently controls 28 settlements in the region.

Video footage from RIA Novosti showed Putin reacting angrily and interrupting the acting governor during the meeting.

BBC News reported on Monday that Putin told a meeting of other Russian officials that "the defense ministry's main task is to push, to kick the enemy out of our territory."

According to The Associated Press (AP), during Putin's meeting with top defense officials he criticized Ukraine's war efforts in the Kursk, describing it as a way for Kyiv to attempt to stop Moscow's offensive efforts in the Donbas region.

Earlier on Monday, an official in Kursk encouraged more Russian residents to evacuate because of a "very tense situation" in the region. Russian forces in the Kursk region are actively working to respond to a surprise attack from Ukrainian troops as fighting between the two has continued for almost a week.

Ukrainian troops first crossed into the border region of Kursk on Aug. 6 prompting widespread concern among Russian officials. Over 76,000 people have been told to evacuate the region, Russia's emergency authorities said.

The governor of the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine near Kursk, announced the evacuation of residents from a district close to the border, calling the situation on Monday morning "alarming," but offering no further details.

Ukrainian troops first launched their attack near the town of Sudzha and reportedly still control a portion of the town. Ukraine's operation is shrouded in secrecy, leaving its objectives unclear—whether Kyiv's forces intend to hold territory or conduct hit-and-run raids remains uncertain. This surprising maneuver, which caught Kremlin forces off-guard, contrasts with Russia's recent efforts to break through Ukrainian defenses at key points along the eastern front.

The recent advance by Ukrainian troops has hurt Putin's efforts to show that Russia has remained unaffected throughout the ongoing war. State propaganda has sought to downplay the attack, focusing on the government's efforts to assist residents in the region while diverting attention from the military's failure to prepare for and swiftly repel the assault.

In a post on his social media channel, Retired Gen. Andrei Gurulev, a member of the lower house of the Russian Parliament, criticized the Russian military amid Ukraine's advance in Kursk.

"Regrettably, the group of forces protecting the border didn't have its own intelligence assets," he said, according to The Associated Press (AP). "No one likes to see the truth in reports, everybody just wants to hear that all is good."

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