Ukraine hits Russia's infantry brigade command post in Kursk Oblast, military claims In historic record, Ukrainian F-16 pilot downs 6 cruise missiles in single mission, Air Force claims Trump blames Biden for provoking Russia's war by supporting Ukraine's NATO aspirations Ukraine says it holds Kurakhove's western outskirts despite Russia's claim of capture Ukrainian soldiers struck on Jan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that some 38,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded fighting in Russia's western Kursk region since August, with Kyiv now launching a fresh offensive in the border region.

Russian forces continue to make costly but consistent gains in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. They are steadily grinding down a pocket of resistance around the town of Kurakhove and are also fighting to envelop the larger nearby city of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian soldiers and officials said.

Russia said on Monday its forces had made important gains in eastern Ukraine while continuing to fend off a new Ukrainian offensive inside the Kursk region of western Russia, where a second day of fierce fighting was under way.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will urge allies to boost his country's air defenses at a meeting this week in Germany

Putin, unable to dislodge Ukrainian forces from Russian territory, loses face in the lead-up to Trump's inauguration.

Russia claims that its forces have captured the front-line town of Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. The town has borne the brunt of Russian advances in recent months and is a stepping-stone to the key logistical hub of Pokrovsk.

Russia has intensified its offensive against Ukraine by launching a series of missile and drone attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure across the country. These strikes have led to widespread power outages,