By Mark Trevelyan (Reuters) -Russian troops are close to ejecting Ukrainian forces from their foothold in Russia's Kursk region, where they grabbed a chunk of land last August and have held on to it through more than seven months of fierce fighting.

Russian troops are close to ejecting Ukrainian forces from their foothold in Russia's Kursk region, where they grabbed a chunk of land last August and have held on to it through more than seven months of fierce fighting.