Putin says Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk is attempt to stop eastern offensive

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Ukrainian army’s incursion into the Kursk region, which has caused more than 100,000 civilians to flee, is an attempt by Kyiv to stop Moscow’s offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and gain leverage in possible future peace talks.

Russian forces are still scrambling to respond to the surprise Ukrainian attack after almost a week of fierce fighting, but Mr Putin insisted Moscow’s army will prevail.