Russia lost over 62,400 soldiers in Kursk operation, Ukraine says

The Russian military had lost 62,400 soldiers in Kursk Oblast since the start of the Ukrainian army's operation there last year, Ukraine's General Staff said on April 26.

Of this number, 25,200 were "irreversible" losses and 36,200 were injuries, according to the statement.

"Another 983 soldiers of the (Russian) army were taken prisoner. As a result, exchanges took place, which allowed hundreds of our soldiers to return home from Russian captivity," the General Staff said.

The statement comes as Russian authorities claimed earlier that day to have fully recaptured the territory of Kursk Oblast and confirmed the participation of North Korean troops in the campaign.

Ukraine's General Staff has denied the claim, and the Kyiv Independent's military sources on the ground said that some territories are still under Ukrainian control.

"The total losses of the North Korean army on the Kursk direction amount to more than 4,500 killed and wounded," Ukraine's General Staff added.

Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August 2024, marking the first large-scale invasion of Russian territory by foreign forces since World War II, to disrupt a planned Russian offensive on the nearby Sumy Oblast and draw Russian forces away from the fighting in Ukraine's east.

Kyiv denies Russia’s claim of Kursk Oblast recapture, as Moscow confirms North Korea role

Russian forces have fully retaken the territory of Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region partially held by Ukraine since last August, the Kremlin claims.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek