Putin Declares Kursk Gambit Failed As Ukraine's Army Steamrolled In East

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his visit to the allied country of Mongolia to thumb his nose at the West. Firstly, Mongolia is a signatory to the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has pleaded for its member state to arrest him, which Mongolia will of course not do.

But Russian media on Monday has quoted some new wide-ranging remarks by Putin on the status of Ukraine's Kursk incursion and efforts to force the invaders back across the border. He gave the remarks to a group of students just before traveling to Mongolia. The offensive is nearing one month and clearly dealt a surprise blow, but without changing anything fundamental concerning frontlines in Ukraine's east (the Donbass).

Putin in the fresh remarks focused on progress in the Donbass, stating "The Russian armed forces are taking control of territories not by 200, 300 meters at a time, but by square kilometers." He emphasized this is a rapid pace not seen in a "long time".

The Kremlin has pointed out that the Kursk incursion is happening more out of desperation than anything strategically impacting the battle space.

Putin said that Kiev is inevitably doomed to failure in its cross-border attacks, and that Russian forces will "deal with the Ukrainian bandits" who have breached the border in order in efforts to destabilize the nation's security.

Putin also described his view that once Kursk fails for Ukraine, and as its forces are getting beaten back in Donbass at a rapid pace, Kiev will soon realize it must negotiate - something Putin said Moscow has never refused to do. But he noted the Zelensky has declared martial law and refused to hold a national election.

But it remains that—

"The current authorities are clearly not ready for this, they have little chance of being re-elected," Putin said.

"That is why they are not interested in ending the fighting, that is why they tried to carry out this provocation in Kursk Region, and before when they tried to carry out the same operation in Belgorod Region."

He stressed that regardless Russia will continue to protect its people in Donbass as "our common future, the future of Russia. He explained that Russia "cannot allow hostile structures to be created right next to us that hatch aggressive plans against our country and constantly try to destabilize the Russian Federation."

Sunday saw Ukraine launch over 150 drones against Russia, and several oil and gas facilities were struck:

This hearkens back to what was essentially a civil war that raged in the Donbass since 2014. Pro-Kiev forces had for years regularly shelled the pro-Russian population and autonomous republics.

The UN estimated that during that time some 14,000 people were killed on either side. Moscow found it intolerable that Russian speakers along its border were subject to a years-long campaign of indiscriminate shelling.

Moscow had long warned that if Kiev had been allowed to slaughter the population of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), NATO could then use the border area to wage attacks right on Russia's doorstep, and also try and block mainland access to Crimea.

Some additional developments below:

Geopolitics: Ukraine

• Russia will make changes to its nuclear doctrine, according to TASS citing the Deputy Foreign Minister.
• A fire caused by an drone strike at the Moscow Oil Refinery has been contained, according to TASS.
• Several
• blasts heard in Ukraine capital Kyiv, according to Reuters witnesses.
• "A series of explosions in Kyiv... as Russians attacked with a combination of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones.", according to Kyiv Post.
• Poland activated its aircraft to ensure airspace security, Polish Armed Forces said, following Russia's air attack on Ukraine.