Russia's FSB security service said Friday that it was investigating three foreign journalists for reporting in parts of Russia's Kursk region occupied by Ukrainian forces, bringing the total of such investigations to 12.

The three, Kathryn Diss and Fletcher Yeung from Australia's ABC News and Romanian journalist Mircea Barbu, are being investigated for illegally crossing the Russian border, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

The Ukrainian army launched a surprise offensive into the Russian border region on August 6, the first incursion by a foreign army on Russian territory since World War II.

Russian forces have started a counter-offensive and say they have seized back some of the territory.

But Ukraine says it still controls around 100 settlements and 1,000 square kilometres (400 miles) of land.

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Several foreign media have reported from the occupied zone, including from Italy's RAI television, the US channel CNN and Germany's Deutsche Welle.

The journalists, none of whom appear to be in Russia, face up to five years in prison under the Russian Criminal Code.

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