Ukraine said Monday its forces recaptured 500 square kilometres (193 square miles) in the southern Kherson region after claiming huge gains in the east over the weekend.

The Ukrainian army has been progressing more slowly on the southern front than in the northeastern region of Kharkiv that is now almost fully back under its control.

"We have liberated around 500 square kilometres" said Ukrainian South Command spokeswoman Natalya Gumenyuk, in the first estimate of the southern counter-offensive gains over the past two weeks.

She added that the settlements of Vysokopillia, Biloguirka, Soukhy Stavok and Myrolioubivka were "fully under Ukrainian flag".

Kirill Stremousov, a pro-Moscow official in the southern capital of Kherson, told RIA Novosti on Monday morning the situation in his city was "under control".

"Right now, a repeat of the situation in Kharkiv is simply not possible," Stremousov said, "there is no panic in the city."

Ukraine said on Sunday that is forces had recaptured more than 3,000 square kilometres this month from Russian troops.

The Institute for the Study of War assessed on Monday that "Ukraine has turned the tide in its favour, but the current counter-offensive will not end the war".