Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the Ukraine army’s incursion into the Kursk region, which has caused more than 100,000 civilians to flee, is an attempt by Kyiv to stop Moscow’s offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.

Speaking at a meeting with top officials, Putin said the attack that began last Tuesday appeared to reflect Kyiv’s attempt to gain a better negotiating position in possible future talks to end the war.

He argued that Ukraine may have hoped to destabilise the domestic situation in Russia, adding that it has failed to achieve the goal, and claimed that the number of volunteers to join the Russian military has increased. He said the Russian military is driving on with its eastern offensive.

An official in the Kursk border region of Russia on Monday urged more residents to evacuate due to the “very tense situation” in the area, where Russian forces are still scrambling to respond to a surprise Ukrainian attack.