Putin on Kursk failure: Not my fault

President Vladimir Putin has a message for the Russian region where Ukraine has seized more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory: Don’t blame me.
Speaking via videoconference to a meeting of Russian politicians, including the governors of Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions, Putin said the “security issues” that had arisen in Kursk were “problems that are the responsibility of the security forces.”
He added that Moscow would work with “local and regional authorities” and “security agencies” to “play a positive role in achieving the goals that we have here.”
Kyiv’s troops invaded Kursk, which borders Ukraine, in a surprise offensive earlier this month, leading the region’s governor to declare a state of emergency.
Russian authorities were left reeling as Ukrainian troops streamed into Russia, capturing vast swathes of land. Ukraine has now taken more than 90 Russian settlements in Kursk, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while also capturing many prisoners of war.
On Thursday, the Kursk regional governor announced that new concrete shelters would be installed in the area for protection.
This story has been updated.