On August 6, 2024, Ukrainian troops crossed the border and entered Russian territory in the Kursk region. More than a month has passed, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have advanced 35 km into the Kursk region, taking control of about 1,300 sq. km and 100 settlements. Ukrainian forces have also replenished the exchange fund with more than 600 Russian prisoners of war.

At the same time, Russia is positioning the Kursk operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as an “attempted invasion”. They say that Ukraine has decided to enter Russian territory, but this is nothing more than an attempt. The Russian military-political leadership seems to have everything under control, so ordinary Russians should not worry about the situation in the Kursk region. At the same time, this is indeed the first invasion of a foreign army into Russia since World War II.

Both Russian propagandists on their Telegram channels and official sources resort to rhetoric about an attempted invasion. For example, as of September 10, the Russian Ministry of Defense continues to publish daily information “on the progress of repelling the attempted invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into the territory of the Russian Federation in the Kursk region”.

It would be an “attempted invasion” if Russian border guards and other military formations did not allow the theater of military operations to move to Russian territory. However, the reality is different: the Russians are still trying to put the fighting in order on their lands.

With this term, Russian propaganda is trying to devalue the successes of the Ukrainian military in the Kursk operation and calm its citizens. Although the impossibility of driving the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Russian territory is a real alarm bell for the residents of this state. The Kremlin is unable to protect its own population, which is why it uses such phrases, just so that the Russians do not suspect that the “special military operation” is not going “according to plan”.