President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Russia’s occupied Kursk region on Wednesday, as the Kremlin considers a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with his troops closing in on Ukraine’s only territorial bargaining chip.

Kyiv has called on Moscow to respond to the proposed ceasefire - the Kremlin says it is waiting to be briefed by the US.

Russia said on Tuesday that its troops had made major new gains in its western region of Kursk, accelerating their push to drive out Ukrainian forces who have been clinging on to a slice of Russian territory since last August.