[Video transcript]
This is how Russian state media presents Ukraine’s incursion.
Host "Vesti": "Russia will not negotiate with those who kill civilians, destroy civil infrastructure and attack nuclear power facilities."
The evening news program on state television claims TV reporters helped rescue locals from a village in the Kursk region.
Its reports show alleged successful hits on the Ukrainian army.
But investigative journalists have already challenged the claims.
Some of the Russian Defense Ministry’s videos reportedly contain old footage that wasn’t even filmed on Russian territory but in Ukraine.
What Russian TV viewers don't see: This video from the first days of the incursion is believed to show Ukrainian forces capturing Russian soldiers. Among them — conscripts.
The Russian units along the border consisted mostly of poorly trained conscript soldiers. And experts say that is part of the reason why Ukraine’s incursion was possible.
The conscripts' mothers started an online petition demanding president Vladimir Putin to remove all conscripts from the border region.
Quote Card: "They have no military experience and no weapons. (...) Spare the lives of soldiers who are not prepared for military action."
The military's reliance on conscripts did not come as a surprise for many analysts.
Alexei Tabalov, NGO Conscript’s School of Law: "Nobody promised that they wouldn’t take part in any military duties. They were promised they wouldn’t be deployed in the so-called 'Special military operation.' But Kursk isn’t the stage of the 'Special Military Operation' — at least officially."
The Ukrainian incursion has brought Russia's war closer to people inside Russia.
According to local authorities, tens of thousands of civilians have successfully been evacuated from border regions.
These videos published by Russia’s Emergency Ministry show temporary shelters built for civilians.
Woman: "Very good. There’s good food. They brought us some clothes to change into."
Videos shared on social media platforms show a different story.
Woman: "They told us to come here for the evacuation but now we’re standing here."
But their voices will not make Russian state TV’s evening news.