Camilla Jessen
Ukraine’s military says its months-long push into Russia’s Kursk region helped capture hundreds of soldiers.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces have confirmed that 971 Russian soldiers were captured during a months-long offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, calling the operation vital to securing recent prisoner exchanges with Moscow.
The General Staff released the statement on May 25, a day after 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war were returned home as part of a 1,000-for-1,000 swap with Russia.
The deal was reached during peace talks held on May 16 in Turkey, the first direct negotiations between the two sides in three years.
According to Ukrainian military leadership, the 971 captures took place between August 6, 2024, and May 25, 2025.
They described the operation as an “unexpected and asymmetric” strategy designed to disrupt Russian forces and build up what Kyiv calls its “exchange fund” — a term used for captured Russian soldiers who can be traded for Ukrainian POWs.
Only unconventional decisions can defeat a numerically superior enemy,” the General Staff said. “The Kursk campaign has proven to be exactly that — its success recognized around the world.
Some military analysts had questioned the Kursk operation’s cost and long-term strategic value.
However, the prisoner swap outcome is now being used by Kyiv to justify the move.
Hundreds of Ukrainians Return Home
The final phase of the prisoner exchange concluded on May 24, bringing back members of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Service, and Special Transport Service.
Among the returnees were 70 defenders of Mariupol, who had been captured during the city’s fall in 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a message on social media following the exchange:
We will bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity.
The swap was carried out in three phases over three days, and remains the only concrete result of the Turkish-hosted peace talks.
While Ukraine continues to push for an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange, Russia has not agreed to the broader proposal.
Conflicting Claims Over Kursk Control
Despite Russian claims that it has “liberated” the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces as of April 26, Ukraine’s General Staff says military operations are still active in the border area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly visited Kursk Oblast in recent days. This was his first known trip to the region since the conflict there escalated.
Moscow continues to portray the region as fully back under Russian control, but Kyiv insists the campaign is ongoing.