Steve Rosenberg, Russia Editor
For almost two weeks, Ukrainian forces have been conquering and occupying Russian territory.
Ukraine’s cross-border attack on the Kursk region marks the first time since World War II that a foreign army has fought on Russian territory.
It is a dramatic and unexpected development in the war, nearly two and a half years after President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin has vowed to drive the enemy out of Russia. President Putin has not publicly used the word “invasion” to describe the Ukrainian offensive, as if to downplay what is happening and avoid panic.
But how do the Russian people react?
Drive two and a half hours south of Moscow to the Tula region and you will reach the small, green town of Alexin.
It is only 160 kilometers from Moscow, and yet it feels like it is a world away from the Russian capital.
On the day we are there, there is a patriotic pop concert in the town square. Most people I speak to are concerned about what is happening further south.
Since February 2022, Russian state television has been reporting on operations by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Nobody here expected a crossing of the Russian border.
There is an obvious fatigue. Everyone talks about the need for peace, but there is currently no common view on how to achieve it.
Some Russians are repeating the official message of state media, calling for “peace on Russia’s terms” (in other words, a complete surrender of Ukraine).
Others express the hope that Moscow and Kiev will sit down at the negotiating table and find a solution to end the conflict.
The Kremlin still describes its troops’ actions in Ukraine as a “special military operation.” It says Russia is currently conducting an “anti-terrorist operation” in the Kursk region.
That is the official view. But the average Russian describes it all with one simple word: “war.”
Producer: Liza Shuvalova
3 hours ago
