Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian reconnaissance and sabotage unit that was armed with weapons from NATO countries in Russia's western Kursk region, the RIA state-run media agency reported on Friday, citing unidentified security sources.

"Samples of small arms manufactured by the United States and Sweden have been seized at the liquidation site of a Ukrainian sabotage group near the village of Kremyanoe in the Kursk region," Russian news agency RIA cited a Russian security official as saying.