While the earlier warnings were largely vague, they grew increasingly more detailed — including specific threats that Ukraine would try to seize the town of Sudzha — a warning that was realized after Ukraine captured it in August.

Moscow was aware of Ukraine's plan to launch a surprise offensive into its Western Kursk region as far back as 2023, according to recently revealed Russian documents. Now 45 days into the raid, Russia has so far failed to push Ukraine's forces out of its Western territories,

Russia said on Friday that its army would regain control of its Kursk region "in a timely manner", declining to say how soon this could be achieved.

A view shows an office building of FSD (Fondation Suisse de Déminage), a non-governmental humanitarian organisation damaged during a Russian missile attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv,

The European Union vows to lend Ukraine up to $39 billion, underwritten by the windfall profits earned on almost $300 billion in frozen Russian assets.