Ukraine’s retreat from Kursk Oblast appears more likely as the latest news shows Russia taking ground amid intense attacks to drive Ukraine out, experts and soldiers say. Retaking Ukrainian-held territory in Kursk Oblast could leave Kyiv without its hard-fought bargaining chip before potential negotiations with Russia.

Russian troops have taken control of the city of Sudzha in the Kursk Oblast and are fighting with the Ukrainian Defense Forces in border villages of the Sumy

Russian media report that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has visited a command post in Kursk Oblast for the first time since the start of the Ukrainian forces' operation in the oblast. Source: Kremlin-aligned media outlet TASS;