Deflection and downplaying: Putin’s response to Kursk invasion off to a shaky start

The longer the incursion lasts, the harder it is for Russia's president to brush it off as a hiccup in a successful war

As Ukraine's assault on Russia's Kursk region continues, Moscow's repeated insistence that everything is under control is wearing thin.

Images broadcast on Ukrainian TV on Wednesday, showing a reporter speaking from the town of Sudzha, with no obvious signs of fighting in the background, seemed to quash Russian claims on Tuesday that the uncontrolled ride of the enemy has already been halted", and that the Russian army had regained the initiative.