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.

Ukrainian forces have suffered a severe blow in the ongoing conflict, facing a near-total collapse as they are driven out of Russia’s Kursk region. The sudden retreat follows a period of intense fighting marked by relentless Russian attacks using aircraft,