Russian forces have begun an assault on the town of Sudzha, the main population center in the Kursk region that was captured by Ukraine last year, a top Russian commander said on Tuesday. The advance puts Moscow on the verge of ending the first invasion of Russian territory since World War II.

In areas far from Russia's big cities, more than 120 monuments glorifying Russia's "special military operation," attempt to link the invasion of Ukraine to the Soviet victory in World War II.

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