Tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops who smashed into Russia last summer and took control of a swath of territory there are nearly encircled by Russian forces and cut off from their main supply lines, open-source maps show.

Ukraine’s situation in Russia’s Kursk region has deteriorated sharply in the past three days, the maps show, after Russian forces retook territory as part of a gathering counteroffensive that has nearly cut the Ukrainian force in two.

The precarious situation for Ukraine raises the possibility that its forces may be forced into a retreat or risk being captured or killed at a time when Kyiv is under mounting pressure from the US to agree a ceasefire.

“The situation (for Ukraine) is very bad,” Pasi Paroinen, a military analyst with the Finland-based Black Bird Group, told Reuters.

“Now there is not much left until Ukrainian forces will either be encircled or forced to withdraw. And withdrawal would mean running a dangerous gauntlet, where the forces would be constantly threatened by Russian drones and artillery,” he said.

“If Ukrainian forces are not able to restore the situation quickly, this could be the moment where the Kursk salient begins to finally close into an encircled pocket.”

The Lib Dems have condemned President Trump’s “flip-flopping” on Ukraine’s security.

Responding to Mr Trump’s statement that Russia is “pounding” Ukraine and that he’s considering new sanctions on Moscow, Helen Maguire, Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson and Iraq veteran, said: “This is yet more proof of Trump’s flip-flopping approach to Ukraine’s defence and security.

“While we welcome his renewed focus on targeting Russia, the aggressor, what is to stop his opinion from changing again tomorrow?

“This dangerous and inconsistent messaging is further proof that the Trump administration is an unreliable partner – and why we must strengthen relations with our European and Commonwealth allies.”

Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron have spoken to “compare notes” on their work to get a lasting peace in Ukraine on Friday evening, Downing Street said.

The two leaders, who have been leading efforts to form a “coalition of the willing” to protect Kyiv, spoke on Friday evening, No 10 said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says intensive contacts took place between US officials and Kyiv’s on Friday.

“Today the most intensive work has been going on all day with President Trump’s team at different levels – many calls,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

“The topic is clear – peace as quickly as possible, the most reliable security possible. Ukraine is committed to being as constructive as possible.”

Russian air defence units downed 43 Ukrainian drones over parts of southern Russia over a two-and-a-half-hour period late on Friday, the defence ministry said.

A statement said 21 of the drones were intercepted over Krasnodar region, east of Ukraine and nine were destroyed over Bryansk region.

The region’s governor, Alexander Bogomaz, said six hit the town of Starodub, near the Ukrainian border, injuring a woman and setting ablaze an industrial plant. Homes were evacuated.

The popular Russian media outlet Mash, reporting on Telegram, said one person died in the attack on the plant, which it said was a food-processing facility.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha says he had a “constructive call” with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, to discuss a forthcoming bilateral meeting in Saudi Arabia.

“Ukraine wants the war to end, and US leadership is essential for achieving lasting peace. We also discussed ways to advance our bilateral cooperation,” Mr Sybiha posted.

US president Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Thursday he was in discussions with Ukraine for a peace agreement framework.

Russian attacks on a series of villages killed five residents of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Friday, prosecutors say.

They said one resident was killed in the town of Pokrovsk, a focal point of Russian advances westward through Donetsk region.

Two others were killed in attacks on villages near the city of Kostyantynivka, further northeast and one other victim was identified as a resident of a village near the town of Kurakhove, which Russia’s military said it captured in January.

Russian troops have been advancing slowly but steadily through Donetsk region as part of a drive to capture the Donbas, made up of Donetsk and Luhansk.