Russia predicted on Thursday it would swiftly recapture the rest of its western Kursk region from Ukrainian troops who grabbed a foothold there last August and have clung on for more than seven months in one of the key battles of the war.

Russia claims to have driven Ukrainian troops out of Sudzha, a town in the Kursk border region. President Vladimir Putin visited the area, renewing the military push. Meanwhile, the US is pushing for a ceasefire,