Ukraine's top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has assured that Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region are not at risk of encirclement, despite a Russian counteroffensive reinforced by North Korean troops.

Russian forces claimed to have captured territory in Ukraine's Sumy region for the first time since 2022. The Kremlin said it has also retaken multiple settlements in the Kursk region. The advance is threatening Ukraine's sole territorial bargaining chip,

Pro-Russian war blogger Two Majors said a major battle was under way for Sudzha and that Russian forces had surprised Ukrainian soldiers by entering the area via a gas pipeline.

Russian troops are collapsing the northern part of the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast after intensified operations in the area that follow the U.S. blocking intelligence sharing with Kyiv, according to the Institute for the Study of War ( ISW ).

"These are small assault units, composed of a few people. They try to penetrate our territory, accumulate forces and advance further into Ukraine, probably to cut off logistical routes," State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on national television.