Vladimir Putin finds himself in a situation forcing him to change his strategy, as Ukrainian forces advance into Russian territory, capturing significant portions of land in Kursk.

One of the most significant blows to Putin, however, is to his prestige. The image of the “only man who can protect Russia” has already been “tarnished,” according to the BBC.

The Ukrainian attack inside Russia has continued for more than a week. The longer it continues, the greater the pressure on the Russian leadership, and potentially, the more damage to President Putin’s standing.

Throughout his two and a half decades in power, Putin has cultivated the image of “Mr. Security,” the only person in this vast country capable of keeping Russians safe and protected.

The so-called “special military operation” (the full-scale invasion of Ukraine) was presented to the Russian people as a way to bolster Russia’s national security. Two and a half years into this war, there is little sign of “security and certainty” here.

There is more NATO at Russia’s borders, with Sweden and Finland joining the alliance; Russian cities are regularly attacked by Ukrainian drones; and now Ukrainian soldiers are occupying Russian territory.

Photos and videos of the Ukrainian army from Russian settlements are appearing online, where Ukrainian flags are now being raised.

With his choice of language, Vladimir Putin is trying to show the Russian public that there is no reason to panic. When referring to the Ukrainian incursion, he has avoided using the word “invasion.” Instead, he has spoken of “the situation in the border area” or “the events taking place.” The Kremlin leader has also called the Ukrainian attack a “provocation.”

Putin Pulls Troops from Ukraine to Protect Kursk

“Russia has moved some of its units from both the Zaporizhzhia region and the Kherson region in southern Ukraine,” Ukrainian military spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy told Politico.

The Kremlin initially attacked the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of southern Ukraine in the early days of Putin’s full-scale invasion in early 2022. Politico could not independently verify how many Russian troops have been moved back to the border, though Lykhoviy stated that it is a “relatively small” number of units.

To counter Ukrainian gains, Russian troops have continued their assault on Pokrovsk and other points in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, one of the hottest spots on the front where Russia is gaining ground.

Russia Builds Defenses in Kursk

Satellite images from the Kursk region show the construction of Russian trenches in the last week following the Ukrainian incursion.

BBC Verify identified five locations where these defenses are visible. The constructions began appearing in satellite images in the days after Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk on August 6 and are located less than 10 kilometers from the Kursk nuclear power plant. Such defenses are typically built to prevent military advances, especially by armored vehicles.

The trenches are located about 45-50 km from the border, and the farthest point where we have observed Ukrainian forces operating within Kursk in verified video is about 28 km from the border.

A verified and geolocated online video also shows the construction of one of the trenches, with heavy machinery next to a large stretch of staked earth running parallel to a main road. There may be other defensive works under construction, but the dense cloud cover in the area in recent days has obscured satellite images, meaning BBC Verify cannot have a clear view of the ground.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukrainian forces now control 74 settlements in Kursk and continue their advance. There is no specific statement from Russia about the trenches, but Moscow has repeatedly stated that it has prevented Ukrainian forces from advancing further in the area.