Ukrainian troops sprang one of the biggest surprises of the war by invading Russia's Kursk region last August, and Russia has taken more than seven months to eject them.

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.

Russia says it will discuss the U.S. ceasefire proposal, but Vladimir Putin has signaled he seeks to expel the remnants of Ukrainian forces from Kursk.