MOSCOW, Oct 9, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Russia's defence ministry said Wednesday it had retaken two villages in its Kursk region that were captured by Ukraine in a surprise offensive.

Russia has rarely claimed any recaptured territory since Ukraine launched its offensive into the border region on August 6.

The ministry said in a statement that Russian troops "continued offensive operations, during which they liberated the settlements of Novaya Sorochina and Pokrovsky".

Novaya Sorochina is located close to the border with Ukraine, while Pokrovsky is deeper into Russian territory. 

Russia said its troops "are continuing actions to defeat the enemy group that has penetrated into the territory of Kursk region."

It said it had repelled Ukrainian attacks on two villages near Pokrovsky.

In mid-September, the defence ministry said that Russian troops had retaken 12 villages in the Kursk region.

Soon after, a spokesman in Ukraine's military administration told AFP that Russia's counter-offensive to retake territory had been "stopped".

Ukraine has said its offensive is intended to create a buffer zone in the region to stop shelling of its border areas.

At the end of August, it claimed to control some 100 Russian settlements and almost 1,300 square kilometres (500 square miles) of territory.

Ukraine said Wednesday that Russia had launched a ballistic missile attack on its central Poltava region from the Kursk region.