Ukrainian forces have deployed British Challenger 2 tanks in Sunday’s surprise counteroffensive in the Kursk region, Russian military bloggers have claimed. Rybar, a well-connected Telegram channel, said that Russian forces had destroyed at least one of the Ukrainian-operated Challenger 2 tanks.

Russia's Defence Ministry has claimed that Ukrainian drones attacked Russia on the evening of 1 January, causing a temporary suspension of flights at Kaluga, Penza, Saransk and Saratov airports. Source: Russia's Defence Ministry;

Ukraine said on Saturday it had struck a storage and maintenance depot for long-range Shahed drones in Russia's Oryol region, adding that this had "significantly reduced" Russia's ability to launch mass drone attacks on Ukraine.

Both Russian and Ukrainian official confirmed the fresh offensive into the Kursk region on Sunday. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said that Russian forces had pushed back Ukrainian troops, though online bloggers said Moscow faced major pressure.

Russia is demanding the United Nations condemn Kyiv following an alleged drone attack that it claims killed a journalist working for a Russian outlet and injured several others.

Attacks on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border killed three people on Friday, local officials said. Three missiles hit a residential area near the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, killing one person,

Russia said Sunday that Ukraine had launched a "counterattack" in the western border region of Kursk, where Kyiv's forces began a shock ground offensive last August.- Airports shut - Both Russia and Ukraine have exchanged regular attacks since the year began.