An unknown assailant stabbed the governor of Russia's Arctic region of Murmansk, wounding him in the stomach after he held a meeting with residents on Thursday, Russian news agencies quoted the governor's press service as saying, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

The agencies said the man accosted Governor Andrei Chibis as he emerged from a meeting in the local town hall of Apatity, south of the northern port of Murmansk.

"There was an armed attack and he suffered a knife wound in the stomach. The attacker has been detained," agencies quoted the governor's press service as saying.

"The governor is currently in surgery. He is conscious and made his own way to his car. On his way to the hospital he was talking and answering questions. He was courageous, cheerful."

The agencies said nothing about a possible motive for the assault.

An armed attack on a public official is a relatively rare occurrence in Russia, particularly in an Arctic region like Murmansk, some 1,500 km (900 miles) north of Moscow.