In pictures: Ukrainian troops near Russian border

Ukraine’s surprise push into the Russian border region of Kursk has seen Kyiv’s forces capture a series of villages, take hundreds of prisoners and force tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes.

Top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi told Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday that the invasion had so far advanced 35km (22 miles) into Kursk, with 82 settlements captured.

Ukrainian troops have been pictured operating in Sumy, a region in northeastern Ukraine which borders Russia.

US reluctant to let Ukraine use its long-range missiles in Kursk – report

Washington is reluctant to let Kyiv’s troops use long-range US weapons inside Kursk due to their short supply, according to a report.

Ukraine received several of the long-range ATACMS missiles earlier this year, and has used them to target sites deep inside Russia.

Officials told CNN that the US was hesitant over the use of the missiles in the Kursk invasion, not because of the risk of escalation, but due to their limited supply.

Despite Ukraine gaining ground in the Russian region, “multiple” US and Western officials warned that Kyiv was unlikely to be able to judge the territory for long, adding that it was too soon to say how the invasion would affect the overall outcome of the war.