Vladimir Putin has ditched his £7,000 bespoke Italian suits for a military uniform in an attempt to present himself as a wartime leader and align with the success of Russian forces. The Russian president is seen more often in hand-stitched Brioni jackets – as seen during a talk in Moscow last year – rather than in combat gear.

There are considerable risks for Ukraine if it chooses to fight on rather than seek a deal to end the war with Russia.

The front line inside Ukraine has become more static, Ukrainian soldiers say, even as Russia regains ground in its own Kursk region.

Russia said on Thursday there was no doubt that its troops would soon complete the task of clearing out Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region where they have held a pocket of territory for more than seven months.