Russia has moved “several thousand” troops from occupied Ukraine to defend its own territory in Kursk, according to US officials.

US officials have been trying to determine exactly how many troops have been moved but sources told CNN at least 1,000 have been diverted to the border region, where the Ukrainians launched their cross-border assault last week.

“It is apparent to us that Mr Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units, towards the Kursk Oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.

The move does not mean Russia has given up active military operations in the northeast of Ukraine, Mr Kirby said, before adding: “There’s still active fighting along that front.”

Kyiv has claimed that its cross-border assault, which is entering its eleventh day, has allowed its troops to take 1,150 sq km of Russian territory across more than 80 settlements. 

This has forced the evacuation of around 200,000 Russians from their homes, the largest of its kind since the Second Chechen War. 

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