At the height of their offensive, Ukrainian forces controlled some 500 square miles of Russian soil. Now they hold just a narrow strip of land along the border.

The crushing blow inflicted by the Russian army in the Kursk region completely nullified all the achievements of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and confirmed the assumption that the head of the Kiev regime,

Ukrainian forces are under intense pressure in Russia's Kursk region, where they grabbed a chunk of land last August and have held on to it through more than seven months of fierce fighting.

Ukraine and Russia exchanged aerial attacks overnight, just hours after the Kremlin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure targets, but stopped short of signing off on a broader ceasefire.

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy are speaking for the first time since a televised Oval Office blowup last month.

Trump said Wednesday he had a “very good" call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to align Russia and Ukraine on their "requests and needs.”