STORY Television News Service, 1+1 Media, The National marathon of United news
Ukrainian state TV on Wednesday broadcast what it said was the moment when Kyiv soldiers pulled down the Russian flag in the town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region.
A video posted to Telegram showed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday being briefed by his top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi more than a week after Kyiv surprised Moscow with a cross-border incursion that has, for now, flipped the roles of invader and invaded.
The surprise operation has given Ukraine its biggest battlefield gains since 2022 after months on the backfoot.
Syrskyi said the Russian border town of Sudzha was fully under Ukrainian control.
Video obtained by Reuters showed Ukrainian fighters on Tuesday patrolling a village in Russia's Kursk region, where, last week, Ukraine sent thousands of troops over the border.
Kyiv says it has taken control of more than 386 sq miles (1,000 sq km) of territory so far.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the situation on the ground.
But at a recaptured border crossing on Tuesday, a Reuters camera filmed Ukrainian military vehicles driving into Russian territory. A pickup truck carrying blindfolded passengers may have been transporting captured Russian soldiers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to hit back at Ukraine with a "worthy response" and accused Kyiv's "Western masters" of helping Ukraine.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he was following the Ukrainian attack closely.
"It's creating a real dilemma for Putin and we've in direct contact, constant contact with the Ukrainians. That's all I'm going to say about it while it's active."
The U.S. State Department said Ukraine was defending itself and Washington was not involved in any aspect of the planning of the operation.
It's unclear how long Kyiv, which has been steadily losing territory to Russia in eastern Ukraine for months, can sustain the incursion. But even the short-lived success has buoyed allies.
ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER, KRISTEN MICHAL: "To be honest, on my personal level, I wish them luck."
The prime ministers of NATO members Finland and Estonia on Wednesday cheered the Ukrainian success.
By bringing the war to Russia, Ukraine has forced nearly 200,000 Russians to evacuate border regions.
