Russia's military says it has regained full control of the country's western Kursk region which was denied by Ukraine, BBC reported on Sunday.

Top Russian commander Valery Gerasimov said the last village held by Ukrainian troops had now been recaptured - eight months after Kyiv's surprise incursion.

He also praised the "heroism" of North Korean troops during a Russian counter-offensive, in what is the first time Russia has publicly acknowledged their involvement. Russian President Putin described Ukraine's efforts in Kursk as a complete failure.

Ukrainian forces have been in retreat in Kursk in recent months, facing 70,000 Russian troops and heavy drone attacks as part of Russia's drive to regain the territory.

In its latest report on 25 April, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think-tank said: "Russian forces recently advanced near the international border in Kursk Oblast [region] as part of efforts to push Ukrainian forces from their limited remaining positions in the area."

The ISW also reported that "fighting continued in [Russia's] north-western Belgorod Oblast [region] on 25 April".

During a video conference meeting with Putin on Saturday, Gerasimov said: "Today, the last settlement in the Kursk region, the village of Gornal, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces."

Gerasimov said more than 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and wounded in the Kursk region - a claim not verified independently.

He also praised North Korean troops for providing "significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces".

"The Kyiv regime's adventure has completely failed," Putin told Gerasimov in response, claiming that it would pave the way for further Russian advances on other fronts.

Russia's military says its troops now control several settlements in Ukraine's north-eastern Sumy region, located next to Kursk.