An official in Russia's Kursk border region partly occupied by Ukraine told AFP that authorities were working "constantly" to secure the return of Russian civilians caught behind the front lines -- after facing rare public criticism.

Ukraine's military said 21 troops were killed and 40 injured in the operation in the Russian region where it is staging an incursion.

Since the new push in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in early January, Ukraine has made small gains and managed to capture the first North Korean prisoners of war in the area but experts have raised concerns about Kyiv’s use of limited resources while fierce battles rage elsewhere.

Ukraine launched a daring offensive into Russia's Kursk region, hoping to stretch Russia's resources and gain a new bargaining chip.

Ukraine is leaning into its efforts to hold onto the Russian territory of Kursk amid intense pressure from Russian and North Korean forces to take it back, apparently gambling that the region could be a valuable card in potential negotiations with Moscow.

Russian forces have retaken 63.2% of the territory captured by Ukraine in the Kursk region of western Russia, the Russian defence ministry said on Friday.

Ukraine's operation in Russia’s Kursk region has uplifted military and societal morale, with Commander Syrskyi hinting at possible future offensives in Russia

Ukraine aimed to challenge the self-imposed red lines set by the Biden administration and other Western leaders regarding its ability to strike back against Russia.

Ukraine’s continued focus on Kursk shows how important Kyiv believes it is to hold on to Russian land, especially if Trump pushes both sides to the negotiating table.

The Russian Defence Ministry released a statement claiming heavy losses for the Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. It also released a video footage of its flamethrower and claimed that it hit Ukrainian positions in Kursk.

Russia has lost about twice as many men to death and serious injury as Ukraine. But the trends favor the Kremlin.