Small Russian infantry groups have stepped up assault operations in Ukraine's south over the past two weeks as they look to improve Moscow's battlefield positions, a spokesperson for the military told Ukrinform on March 12.

A Ukrainian serviceman patrols a street next to buildings damaged during fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the Ukrainian-controlled town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region, August 16, 2024.

Russia said on Tuesday that its troops had made major new gains in its western region of Kursk, accelerating their push to drive out Ukrainian forces who have been clinging on to a slice of Russian territory since last August.