Putin says a small number of Ukrainian troops are still holed up in Russia's Kursk region

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that some small groups of Ukrainian soldiers were still holed up in basements and hideouts in Russia's western Kursk region.

Putin earlier this week phoned his top commanders in Kursk to congratulate them on "victory" and the end of their operation to expel Ukrainian forces from the region after a Ukrainian force stormed across the border last August.

Speaking at an event in Moscow, Putin said radio intercepts suggested that the few Ukrainians left behind were asking commanders to urgently evacuate them to safety.

Ukraine has said that some of its forces are still inside Kursk and in Russia's nearby Belgorod region.