Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has stated that Ukraine’s defence forces will maintain their positions in Russia’s Kursk Oblast "for as long as it remains reasonable and necessary".

Ukrainian forces had repelled eight Russian assaults in the Kursk region in western Russia, according to Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. He said active fighting continued in the suburbs of Sudzha and its surrounding areas.

Russia said on Thursday there was no doubt that its troops would soon complete the task of clearing out Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region where they have held a pocket of territory for more than seven months.

KYIV (Reuters) - Kyiv's top general said on Monday that Ukrainian troops fighting in Russia's Kursk region were not at risk of encirclement, despite a recent counteroffensive by Russian forces that has included North Korean troops.

Russia claimed to retake a key town in the area from Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s top military commander has said that its forces would continue to “hold the line.”