Russia says it repelled Ukrainian advances

MOSCOW — Russia said on Wednesday it had repelled attempts by Ukrainian forces to push deeper into the western Kursk region in five areas, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces were advancing.

"The attempts by enemy mobile units using armored equipment to break through deeper into Russian territory have been repelled," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Thousands of Ukrainian troops rammed through the Russian border in the early hours of Aug 6 into Kursk in what President Vladimir Putin said was a major provocation that was aimed at gaining a stronger hand in possible future cease-fire talks.