Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits Sumy region bordering Russia's Kursk province 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he had visited the northern Sumy region, from where Ukraine recently launched a major incursion into the neighboring Russian Kursk region.

Almost two months into the surprise operation, Kyiv's troops control swaths of Russian border territory, though the pace of the advance has slowed and Moscow's forces have begun to counterattack.

"It is crucial to understand that the Kursk operation is a really strategic thing, something that adds motivation to our partners, motivation to be with Ukraine, be more decisive and put pressure on Russia," Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

Shown alongside his top army commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, visiting the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, the president thanked the military for defending Ukraine's territorial integrity.

He said the incursion, which Ukraine says is bringing the war back to Russia, "has greatly helped" Kyiv to secure the latest military support packages from the West.

"We need to motivate the whole world and convince them that Ukrainians can be stronger than the enemy," he told the servicemen.

Despite the initial rapid success, the Kursk incursion did not significantly distract Russia from its advances in Ukraine's east.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military said it had pulled back from the hilltop town of Vuhledar to avoid encirclement by Russian troops, who have also closed to within about 7 km (4 miles) of the strategic hub of Pokrovsk farther north.

Zelenskyy added that he'd met with his military command for discussion about the front lines, air defenses and the energy situation in the Sumy region. Russia has been pummeling its electricity infrastructure, leading to power cuts.

Separately, Syrskyi said on Facebook that he had recently discussed battlefield and cyber cooperation with General Christopher Cavoli, head of the U.S. European Command, and General Timothy Haugh, head of U.S. Cyber Command.

Syrskyi said he had emphasized the need to strengthen cyber cooperation: "It is important for us to use all available opportunities to achieve superiority over the enemy, both on the battlefield and in cyberspace."