Putin, in military fatigues, orders swift defeat of Ukrainian forces in Kursk

Russian operation to expel Ukrainian forces in final stage, claims Kremlin, following visit to region by President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin speaks in a televised address.

Russian president  Vladimir Putin, dressed in military fatigues, ordered top commanders to defeat Ukrainian forces in the western region of Kursk as soon as possible after the United States asked him to consider a 30-day ceasefire proposal.

Ukrainian forces smashed across the Russian border on August 6 and grabbed a slice of land inside Russia in a bid to distract Moscow's forces from the front lines in eastern Ukraine and to gain a potential bargaining chip.