Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday vowed to expel Ukrainian forces from Russian territory following a surprising cross-border offensive that has intensified battles and left the Kremlin scrambling.

This marks Putin's first major public intervention since Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Russia's Kursk border region, reportedly advancing up to 20 miles.

Amid the ongoing conflict, Russian authorities have urged civilians to evacuate as Ukrainian forces continue to make gains. The Russian defense ministry confirmed intense fighting in Kursk, with Ukrainian forces engaged near the villages of Tolpino, Obshchy Kolodez, and Zhuravli.

In a special meeting, Putin ordered his defense ministry to "squeeze out, to knock out the enemy from our territories" and reinforce Russia's border defenses. He accused Ukraine of seeking to improve its negotiation position and ease pressure on its front-line forces, while claiming that Russian forces were advancing along the contact line.

The Kremlin acknowledged last week that Ukrainian troops had penetrated deep into the Kursk region. As a result, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from border communities, with new evacuations announced in the Belgorod region on Monday.

Putin also warned that more Russian border regions, including Bryansk, could be targeted as Kyiv attempts to destabilize the country. Meanwhile, the ongoing battles have damaged Putin's internal standing, with influential military bloggers expressing concern about the continuation of fighting inside Russia.

In a separate development, both Ukraine and Russia accused each other of endangering Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, after a major fire broke out on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared footage of smoke billowing from one of the plant's towers, blaming Russian forces. Moscow, however, accused Ukraine of causing the fire with a drone strike. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed explosions but reported no impact on nuclear safety. (ILKHA)