Zelenskiy visits Sumy, praises troops in Kursk incursion

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the northern Sumy region, from where Ukraine launched a major incursion into the neighboring Russian Kursk region.

Almost two months into the surprise operation, Kyiv's troops control swathes of Russian border territory, though the pace of the advance has slowed and Moscow's forces have begun to counterattack.

Shown alongside his top army commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, visiting the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, the president thanked the military for defending Ukraine's territorial integrity.

He said the incursion, which Ukraine says is bringing war back to Russia, helped Kyiv to secure the latest military support packages from the West.

"I want to personally thank you for the Kursk operation, all of you, commanders, officers, all soldiers, your brothers in arms. Please pass my gratitude and greetings. I know it is not easy during the long war and personnel should be motivated. I want you to know that we need to motivate the whole world and convince them that Ukrainians can be stronger than the enemy. And it is true," he added.

Despite the initial rapid success, the Kursk incursion did not manage to significantly distract Russia from its advances in Ukraine's east.

He thanked those fighting in Kursk, saying the operation had “greatly helped motivate those who give us support packages with weapons”.

The president previously visited the Sumy region in late August after the army launched a surprise offensive on Aug 6.

The offensive has continued for almost two months. Kyiv has given few details on the operation recently.

In the meantime, Ukraine has been losing territory to Russia, which has advanced significantly in the eastern Donetsk region.

The Ukrainian military said it had pulled back from the hilltop town of Vuhledar to avoid encirclement by Russian troops, which have also closed to within about 7 km of the strategic hub of Pokrovsk further north.