Thousands of Russians pulled out of Ukraine to fight growing incursion

RUSSIA has moved "several thousand" troops to defend its own invaded territory in Kursk as Ukraine's incursion there still continues to gather pace.

- Mark Reynolds

US officials said the Kremlin redirected military resources from Ukraine to the border region, where Kyiv's forces launched their cross-border assault last week.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: "It is apparent to us that Vladimir Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units, towards the Kursk Oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing." But Ukrainian forces were still marauding | further into mainland Russia as underpressure Putin "put on a brave face" in front of the Kremlin's inner circle.

According to Russian officials, nearly 200,000 of its terrified citizens have now been forced to evacuate from border regions following the surprise attack.

In response, alarmed Kremlin chiefs have ordered troops to start digging huge defensive trenches 10 miles north of Ukraine's furthest position in the Kursk region.