Something struck a group of Russian troops in Lgov, a town of 21,000 in western Russia’s Kursk Oblast, late Sunday or early Monday. “It’s terrible,” a bystander cried. “The guys are all in the bunker,” they added as the bunker burned.

Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied by daily combat losses and demoralized by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk.

Exhausted and demoralised Ukrainian troops risk losing much of the territory in Russia's Kursk Oblast that they captured during the lightning-fast August offensive. Source: Associated Press, citing seven Ukrainian soldiers and commanders who spoke on condition of anonymity about the situation on the front line Details: The publication writes that a significant number of Ukrainian units are in a state of exhaustion.

Ukrainian forces are at risk of losing control over the territories gained in the Kursk region, potentially weakening the entire frontline. Ukraine has already lost 40 percent of the land they gained in Russia.