Moscow has previously pulled mercenaries into its war effort in Ukraine and now appears to be recruiting much further afield.

Russia has removed a senior general in Ukraine for giving misleading reports about the progress of the war as Defence Minister Andrei Belousov tries to clear out poor commanders, pro-Russian war bloggers and Russian media said.

Russia has removed a senior commander from his post for making false claims about the progress of the war in some parts of eastern Ukraine, according to military bloggers and Russian media.

Ukraine has lost over 40 percent of the territory it previously gained in Russia's Kursk Oblast due to Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported on Nov. 23, citing a source in Ukraine's General Staff.

KYIV, Ukraine >> Ukraine has lost over 40% of the territory in Russia’s Kursk region that it seized in a surprise incursion in August as Russian forces have mounted waves of counterassaults, a senior Ukrainian military source said.

The Ukrainian source revealed that their forces initially controlled up to 1,376 square kilometres (531 square miles) of territory in Kursk but now hold around 800 square kilometres (309 square miles).