The Ukrainian military said today that it has captured 909 Russian soldiers since the start of its operation in the Russian border region of Kursk, exactly six months ago.
Launched on August 6, 2024, this surprise offensive allowed Ukrainian forces to take control of several hundred square kilometers in Russia.
One of the goals of that offensive, according to Ukrainian authorities, was to capture Russian soldiers in order to exchange them for captured Ukrainian soldiers.
"During the operation, Ukrainian forces captured 909 Russian soldiers, which significantly replenished the exchange fund," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army said on Facebook, adding that this helped return home hundreds of Ukrainian defenders who are in Russian prisons.
The exchange of prisoners is one of the rare issues in which two warring countries manage to cooperate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today praised his forces fighting in the Kursk region and awarded several units.
"The occupier can and must be defeated on its own territory," Zelensky said, emphasizing the principle of "peace through force" that Kiev has adopted since Donald Trump's election to the White House.
In the Kursk region, Ukrainian forces initially made significant territorial gains. But Russian forces have since recaptured much of the lost territory and fighting there continues.
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