A Colombian citizen has been detained near the village of Alexandria in Russia's Kursk region on charges of terrorism and mercenary activity, as both Moscow and Kyiv grapple with the growing presence of foreign fighters in their ranks.

An official in Russia's Kursk border region partly occupied by Ukraine told AFP that authorities were working "constantly" to secure the return of Russian civilians caught behind the front lines -- after facing rare public criticism.

Russian forces have retaken 63.2% of the territory captured by Ukraine in the Kursk region of western Russia, the Russian defence ministry said on Friday.

Russian units are advancing in all directions. The opponent is losing ground and retreating from previously held positions, despite additional reinforcements,' according to Defense Ministry - Anadolu

Ukrainian military officials dismissed suggestions that Russian forces had breached Pokrovsk, a critical transport hub

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, but as he prepares to take office, peace seems as elusive as ever.

Russia on Sunday said it had opened a criminal investigation into allegations that Ukrainian troops killed civilians in a Russian village that had been seized by Kyiv's army.

Ukraine’s continued focus on Kursk shows how important Kyiv believes it is to hold on to Russian land, especially if Trump pushes both sides to the negotiating table.

Ukrainian forces described a different kind of enemy, fighting with unfamiliar tactics and little option to retreat.

Although Kyiv’s troops quickly advanced through Kursk in the summer – in the first ground invasion ... without saying how – Moscow and Kyiv appear to be making an 11th-hour push to gobble up territory and strengthen their negotiating hands ahead ...

Ukraine is leaning into its efforts to hold onto the Russian territory of Kursk amid intense pressure from Russian and North Korean forces to take it back, apparently gambling that the region