Russia said on Monday its forces had made important gains in eastern Ukraine while continuing to fend off a new Ukrainian offensive inside the Kursk region of western Russia, where a second day of fierce fighting was under way.

Ukraine has largely been driven out of Kurakhove, a battered but strategic town in the Donbas, Russia said. Kyiv’s forces were pressing a renewed offensive in southern Russia.

Ukraine first launched its incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August last year, seizing a large chunk of territory. In recent months, Russian forces have made big gains in th

Ukraine launched a new offensive in Russia's Kursk region Sunday, Moscow and Kyiv said. Ukrainian forces had captured about 500 square miles of the western Russian province in a surprise incursion in August, but Russian and North Korean troops are believed to have retaken 40-50% of that area.

The Ukrainian military said Wednesday that it struck a fuel storage depot deep inside Russia, causing a huge blaze at the facility that supplies an important Russian air base. Russian officials acknowledged a major drone attack in the area,

The drone strike targeted the main aviation fuel facility in Engels city that supplies President Vladimir Putin's strategic nuclear bomber aircraft.

Ukraine claimed on Tuesday that its forces had conducted a “high-precision” strike on a Russian military command post in the Kursk region during “combat operations”. However, Kyiv later backtracked and said it had launched fresh offensive operations in the area.