Russian state television has aired an unusual moment of criticism and self-doubt about the country's military campaign in Ukraine.
During a political talk show this week, film director Karen Shakhnazarov made several candid statements that challenged the prevailing positive narrative while discussing Ukraine’s advance into Kursk.
"If there are more blunders like this one, Russia might lose the war," Shakhnazarov warned.
The director went on to criticise the rose-tinted view often presented on Russian media. He said: "We must stop saying that everything in our country is fine. There's a lot that isn't fine."
In a particularly candid moment, he addressed the mischaracterisation of Ukrainian forces, stating: "On TV, we're always showing Ukrainians who don't want to fight.
“But now we can see: they're fighting well. And they're highly motivated. Why are we kidding ourselves?"
It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed his country now controls at least 75 Russian settlements and 400 square miles of land following its incursion into the Kursk region. More than 2,000 prisoners have been taken.
On Thursday, he said his troops had taken full control of Sudzha, around five miles from the border and the largest town captured by the Ukrainian military so far.
Further inland, Russia started digging trenches in a bid to stop the advance after failing dismally to eject the Ukrainians. Officials appealed for citizens to apply for digging jobs, offering three meals a day and wages.
Earlier this week, Kyiv's forces constructed their own trenches to defend their gains. With both sides apparently bedding in for the long term, Kursk is likely to become a new front line, despite Kyiv's claim the bold incursion is to speed the end of the conflict.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, urged both sides to negotiate. He said: “Let's sit down at the negotiating table and end this brawl. Neither Russians, nor Ukrainians, nor Belarusians, need it.”
He suggested the war had been contrived by Western powers, saying: “I cannot disclose these facts as they are completely classified but top [Western] officials openly say, and I quote: "Let them fight each other - Ukrainians, Russians - let them all die".”
