Russian president Vladimir Putin told troops the country is “absolutely invincible” during a surprise visit to Chechnya.
It comes as Ukrainian troops continue to occupy Russia’s Kursk region, having breached the country’s borders for the first time since World War 2.
The offensive is a source of major humiliation for Putin, who has been trying to seize the whole of Ukraine since he invaded in 2022.
On Tuesday, he made his first trip in 13 years to the North Caucasus republic, which is still part of Russia.
A transcript on the Kremlin’s website explains Putin met troops at the Russian Special Forces University and told them: “As long as we have men like you, we are absolutely, absolutely invincible.”
He continued: “It is one thing to shoot at a shooting range here, and another thing to put your life and health at risk.
“But you have an inner need to defend the Fatherland and the courage to make such a decision.”
During the trip, Putin met with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has often described himself as the president’s “foot soldier”.
Asked by a reporter if “Putin’s foot soldiers” like Kadyrov justify his trust, the president replied: “If I had more of these foot soldiers, I would be very happy, but even one such foot soldier is worth a lot.”
He also pledged to “fight those who commit crimes in the Kursk region, in Donbas,” referring to Kyiv’s occupation and Russia’s attempts to seize eastern Ukraine.
He said: “We will punish the criminals. There can be no doubt about this.”
Russia is struggling to remove Ukrainian troops from Kursk two weeks after the incursion began.
But the Kremlin has only moved a “relatively small” number of troops from its offensive in the Donbas to defend its own population, according to Kyiv.
As Putin’s former speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov said earlier this week, the Russian public feel “betrayed” by the president’s decision not to prioritise the safety of the general public .
“It seems like he is ready to sacrifice Russian territory for Ukrainian territory,” he told Times Radio, claiming that Putin’s behaviour is that “of a real fanatic, like not a normal person”.