Russian forces have recaptured Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine once occupied in the Kursk region, according to Moscow, threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining chip amid pressure to negotiate an end to the war.

Moscow says it has expelled Kyiv’s troops from this town and is confident of the complete ‘liberation’ of Kursk province in the coming days

After clinging for more than seven months to a gradually shrinking area, Ukraine has seen its position worsen sharply in the past week.