Ukraine-Russia war latest: Ukrainian forces in cross-border attack as Niger joins Mali in cutting ties with Kyiv

Ukrainian forces are conducting a major cross-border attack involving around 300 soldiers into Russia ’s southern province of Kursk , Moscow’s Defence Ministry has claimed.

Kursk’s governor said Russia had to move in reserves to try and repel hundreds of fighters backed by tanks in one of he largest cross-border raids since Vladimir Putin ’s invasion of Ukraine .

Damaged and abandoned armoured vehicles were seen in geolocated footage by the US-based Institute for the Study of War, roughly 7km north of the border west of Lyubimovka.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said that it was continuing to fight Ukrainian units "in the areas of the Kursk region directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border."

It comes as Niger became the second west African country to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine in recent days over a row as to whether Kyiv provided support for rebels behind an attack last month that killed scores of Malian soldiers and mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group.

Niger’s military junta said it would follow Mali by severing relations with “immediate effect” and accusing Kyiv of supporting “terrorist” groups.