Russian gains in Kursk threaten vital bargaining chip for Ukraine

The images shared by Kremlin-controlled media were shocking: Russian troops hunched, dirt on their faces, as they crept through an empty gas pipeline under Ukrainian defence lines.

Since Kyiv launched its audacious cross-border assault into the Kursk region last August, Moscow has been pushing back hard, using unconventional tactics and deploying thousands of North Korean troops to turf out the Ukrainian army.

They have since stepped up their advances.

In the recent days, Moscow has broken through Kyiv’s defensive lines, reclaiming dozens of square kilometres of territory, according to military bloggers.

Russian military bloggers reported Tuesday that Moscow’s troops had entered the town of Sudzha, the largest settlement in the region under Kyiv’s control.