Ukraine, which seized part of the Kursk region in early August and has held on to it for five months, launched a new offensive there on Sunday but has not provided details of the operation or stated what the objectives are.

Russia said on Monday it had made an important advance in eastern Ukraine although Russian war bloggers said Moscow's forces were continuing to fend off a Ukrainian attack inside Russia itself. The Russian defence ministry said its forces had captured the town of Kurakhove,