Russian forces attempting to peel back Ukrainian control of parts of the western Russian Kursk region may be close to cutting off vital supply lines to Kyiv's troops across the border, according to new reports.

The National Intelligence Service said in a brief statement it was trying to determine exactly how many more troops North Korea has deployed to Russia. The NIS also assessed that North Korean troops were redeployed at fronts in Russia’s Kursk region in the first week of February,

Several Russian tanks adorned with Soviet-era red victory flags were destroyed by Ukrainian drones in Kursk, adding to increasing equipment losses.

Russian forces have taken back more than 800 square km (309 square miles) of territory from Ukraine in the Kursk region of western Russia, or about 64% of the total taken by Ukraine since an incursion began last year,

Ukraine lost 220 troops on the battlefield on the same day its president had a fiery fallout with President Donald Trump in the White House leading to the collapse of a mineral deal.

"Currently, Russian forces are attempting to storm the border in infantry groups without vehicle columns," Andrii Kovalenko said on Telegram. "There has been no breakthrough at the moment; the fighting continues.

Russian Defense Ministry says forces regained control of Novaya Sorochina captured by Ukraine during last year's incursion - Anadolu Ajansı

Confidently rolling toward Ukrainian lines in western Russia’s Kursk Oblast in up-armored vehicles brazenly flying the flag of the defunct Soviet Union, an assault group from the Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade paraded right into a minefield laid by the Ukrainian 47th Mechanized Brigade.