'Friendly fire' adds to Putin's losses as Kyiv marches on

A RUSSIAN attack helicopter struck its own miltary in Kursk in a friendly fire blunder, it has been reported.

- Mark Reynolds

It came as Ukraine claimed that it now controls 620 square miles of Russian territory.

Moscow initially said the strike was on a Ukrainian armoured column.

However, the Ka-52M Alligator helicopter actually hit its own side, according to Telegram channels.

The blunder by President Putin's forces is believed to have destroyed one 2S19M2 Msta-S self-propelled gun and damaged another.

The incident occurred in the area of the village of Krivitskiye Budy in the Belovsky district of the Kursk region.

The extent of casualties was not revealed. But Volta independent Telegram channel which monitors both sides said four armed vehicles were hit.