Putin addresses high-ranking officials in public
The Ukrainian advance onto Russian territory is a defeat for the leadership around Vladimir Putin. The mood of the Russian president does not seem good, as shown at an important meeting to discuss the tense situation on the border.
Vladimir Putin publicly rebuked several high-ranking Russian officials involved in the Ukrainian advances on the border. Especially Governor Alexei Smirnov of the Kursk region was put in his place by the Russian president during a meeting with military officials and regional government representatives regarding the current situation.
Smirnov reported at the assembly that the situation in his region was difficult, as the Ukrainians had taken control of 28 settlements. "The depth of penetration into the Kursk region is 12 kilometers, and the width of the front is 40 kilometers," Smirnov claimed.
But for Putin, this was apparently too much: "Look, Alexei Smirnov, the military department will report to us on how wide and deep it is. They will report to us on the socio-economic situation and assistance to the people," the Russian president interjected. Smirnov complied with the instruction.
First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov was also rebuked by Putin. When Manturov claimed that problems were "under control," the Russian president replied that important social issues had been overlooked.
A video and transcript of the conversation were published on the Kremlin's website. "The Kremlin's decision to publish footage of Putin reprimanding high-ranking Russian officials is likely a warning to others not to comment on the Ukrainian invasion of Russia," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said.
Both Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region also attacked by Ukraine, and the governor of Bryansk, Alexander Bogomaz, avoided "Putin's wrath" by not commenting on military matters, according to the US think tank.
Putin said to be in bad mood
The Russian opposition newspaper Verstka reported a few days ago that the Russian presidential administration had recommended deputies and senators not to comment on the events in Kursk or to keep their comments brief and refer only to official statements.
"Putin and high-ranking Russian military and security officials are probably trying to control the official narratives about the situation in the Kursk region and prevent domestic discontent that could threaten the stability of the Kremlin," the ISW analyzed.
The "Moscow Times" recently reported that Putin was in a bad mood due to the Ukrainian offensive on the border, similar to after the forced withdrawal from Kherson in 2022. A Russian official told the Kremlin-critical newspaper that the advance in the Kursk region was a "heavy slap in the face for the president."
In recent months, several high-ranking officials have been removed from their positions in Russia, for example, due to alleged corruption. Observers have described this as "purges."
The Commission, led by the Russian president, convened to discuss the Ukrainian advance and the tense situation on the border. Following Putin's public rebuke of several officials, it was reported that The Commission would now closely monitor the military department's reports on the situation in the Kursk region.
