Russians criticize Putin after incursion

Many Russians fleeing Ukraine’s surprise incursion are furious at Moscow’s response. Kyiv said it now controls at least 1,000 square kilometers of Russia’s Kursk province and has detained at least 100 Russian soldiers, forcing Moscow to withdraw some troops from Ukraine to counter the offensive. Kursk residents told the Financial Times that authorities failed to coordinate an organized evacuation and blamed Kremlin-backed media and internet blackouts for leaving them in an information vacuum.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has aimed to keep the public in “hibernation” about the war, said one Russian political scientist, adding, “The question is, for how long can you ignore the outside reality before it gets to you?”