KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian special forces captured a group of more than 100 Russian soldiers on Wednesday during Kyiv’s cross-border incursion into the western Russian region of Kursk, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine said on Thursday.
The 102 servicemen of Russia’s 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment and its “Akhmat” unit are the largest group of soldiers to be captured at the same time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the source said.
“They captured and cleared a sprawling, concrete and well-fortified company stronghold from all sides – with underground communications and personnel accommodation, a canteen, an armoury and even a bathhouse,” the source said.
Ukraine launched its surprise push into the Kursk region on Aug. 6 and has so far claimed it controlled the area that exceeds 1,000 sq km (390 sq miles).
Pictures shared by the source showed dozens of Russian servicemen sitting or lying on the ground in a concrete bunker with their helmets and weapons piled up near the walls.
The source said the captured Russian servicemen would eventually be swapped for the Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said this week that he had talks with his Russian counterpart about an exchange of prisoners.
Ukraine and Russian regularly swap prisoners of war. The latest exchange was last month. Ukrainian officials have said that Kyiv has secured the return of 3,405 people from Russian captivity since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Olena Harmash; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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