Ukraine’s presence in Russia’s Kursk region has deteriorated sharply, with the advance threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining counter at a crucial time in the war.

Pro-Russian war blogger Two Majors said a major battle was under way for Sudzha and that Russian forces had surprised Ukrainian soldiers by entering the area via a gas pipeline.

The repositioning could be a prelude to a complete Ukrainian withdrawal from Kursk back to the relative safety of northern Ukraine. Shrugging off at least one raid by a Ukrainian

A surprise Russian assault through a gas pipeline, along with a major offensive, is quickly making Ukraine's hold on Kursk untenable

Russia on Sunday announced it had captured territory in Ukraine's Sumy region for the first time since 2022 in a cross-border offensive, as Kyiv struggles to hold onto territory in Russia's neighbouring Kursk region.

Russia has intensified its attacks in Ukraine, reclaiming three villages in the Kursk region while launching deadly strikes across eastern Ukraine. At least 14 people were killed in overnight assaults.

Russia's defense ministry released video on Sunday (March 9) showing what it says are drone strikes on a Ukrainian column in Russia's Kursk region. It comes as Russian troops have launched a large-scale offensive to retake swaths of the western Kursk region from Ukrainian forces,