MOSCOW  -  The Kremlin said Wednesday that it wanted to see rapid stabilisation in Syria, criticising Israeli strikes and its creation of a “buffer zone” along the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Russia also said its military offensive on Ukraine remained its “absolute priority” amid questions over whether Moscow’s almost three-year campaign there meant it could not support long-term ally Bashar al-Assad in the face of the lightning rebel offensive. “We would like to see the situation in the country stabilised somehow as soon as possible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He also condemned Israel’s strikes on Syrian military installations and the establishment of a “buffer zone” as aggravating the crisis.

“The strikes, the actions in the Golan Heights and the buffer zone hardly contribute to the stabilisation of the situation in the already destabilised Syria,” he said. Russia was continuing to discuss the fate of its military infrastructure in the country with Syria’s new leadership, Peskov said. “We are in contact with those who control the situation in Syria. This is necessary since our (military) base and diplomatic mission are there,” Peskov said.

Russia says recaptured two Kursk villages from Ukraine

Russia said Wednesday that it had recaptured two villages from Ukraine in the border region of Kursk, where Kyiv launched a major ground assault in August. Moscow was caught off guard when Kyiv began its incursion four months ago but has steadily clawed back territory, halting Ukraine’s advance and rushing reinforcements to the region.

Russian army units “liberated the settlements of Darino and Plyokhovo during the course of offensive operations”, the Russian defence ministry said.

Both villages are close to the Ukrainian border.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from the Kursk region since Ukraine launched its incursion, while many others are trapped in Kyiv-held territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced the governor of the Kursk region this month, saying it needed a “crisis” manager after residents voiced anger at the handling of the incursion.

Moscow has dispatched thousands of North Korean soldiers to bolster the region, according to the US Defense Department, with Kyiv reporting that it has encountered troops from the reclusive country in combat.

A Ukrainian army source told AFP last month Kyiv still controlled 800 square kilometres (300 square miles) of the Russian border region, down from previous claims it controlled almost 1,400 square kilometres.

The source said Ukrainian troops would stay in the region “for as long as it is appropriate”.