Ukrainian troops have made further attempts to breach the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday as President Vladimir Putin hosted world leaders at a major military parade in Moscow.

Ukraine has launched a surprise new cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region, with battlefield maps showing reported advances. Ukrainian troops were said to have breached the Russian border near the village of Tetkino late on Sunday and through Monday morning.

Russia has never opposed a ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian state-run news agencies reported on Wednesday, citing foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Responding to remarks by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be obstructing a comprehensive ceasefire,