Putin claims that Ukraine's occupation of Russian territory is not really important

Donbass is the eastern region of Ukraine that forms the main front line of the Russian invasion.

Ukraine's attack on the Russian border region of Kursk on August 6 surprised the Russian military leadership.

Ukrainian troops penetrated deep into Russian territory and took hundreds of prisoners.

A month later, Ukrainian troops still occupy the approximately 980 square kilometer area.

Having been caught off guard, the Kremlin leadership is now trying to portray Ukraine's invasion as a mistake.

“By moving relatively large and well-trained units to the border areas, we weakened the enemy in key areas and our troops accelerated their offensive operations,” Putin said.

Ukraine claims the opposite, saying Russia was forced to divert its best troops.

The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said on Thursday that while Russia had indeed withdrawn some units to defend Kursk, it was relying largely on volunteer units.

Analysts believe that Ukraine will likely want to use the territories it has conquered in Russia as a bargaining chip in possible negotiations.

However, the goal of withdrawing significant Russian troops from eastern Ukraine appears to have failed. In recent weeks, Russia has made progress in eastern Ukraine and is advancing on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.

Will Kingston-Cox, a Russia expert at the International Team for the Study of Security (ITSS) in Verona, told France 24 that the Kursk offensive was “strategically misguided” and described the operation as “symbolic” but not truly game-changing.

The Kursk offensive actually gave Ukraine the initiative in the war after months of defensive action, the ISW explained. Russia now faces the decision of expelling the Ukrainians from its territory or making painful progress in eastern Ukraine.

Moreover, it was a humiliating blow to Putin's image as a strong defender of Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News this week that the incursion was part of a plan by Ukraine to win the war and that it intends to hold the area.