Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the U.N. was turning a blind eye to excesses committed by Ukrainian forces in their incursion into Russia's Kursk region, launched last month. Lavrov, in an interview with Russia's TASS news agency on the sidelines of the U.

Regardless of whether the Russian army eventually succeeds in driving the Ukrainians back across the border, the meticulously planned and executed Kursk offensive has dramatically changed how the war is being perceived in both the Western world and in Russia.

Ukraine abides by international humanitarian law and does not target civilians during its current incursion into Russia's western Kursk region, Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday. Earlier on Monday,

At least 31 civilians were killed, and 256 were wounded during a Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region as of September 5. Ukraine launched this major foreign attack, the largest since World War II,

Russia said on Friday that its army would regain control of its Kursk region "in a timely manner", declining to say how soon this could be achieved.

According to documents obtained by the Ukrainian military and shared with The Guardian, Russia's military command foresaw Ukraine's August 6 incursion and failed to act on warnings from those in the region. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment on the reports.

An operation is ongoing in the Kursk region, reports the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff. The latest military report indicates that the Russian Federation's army continues to strike toward the Kursk region on its territory to combat the Ukrainians stationed there.