Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated at least 77 Russian conscripts during fighting in Kursk region – Russian media
The Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated at least 77 Russian conscript soldiers during the operation in the Kursk region. More than 30 other conscripts are still considered missing.
As reported by Censor.NET, this is stated in a joint investigation by the independent Russian outlets Important Stories and Verstka.
According to the journalists, around 344 conscript soldiers were deployed in the border districts of the Kursk region in August 2024. At least 77 of them were killed in fighting with Ukrainian Armed Forces units. According to the investigators, Russian forces suffered their heaviest losses near Oleshnya and the village of Vesele.
The authors of the investigation also noted that more than 30 other conscripts are officially considered missing. They believe it is highly likely that these servicemen were also killed, but the search for their bodies is ongoing.
At the same time, some Russian conscripts were taken prisoner by Ukraine. The state-run I Want to Live project told the journalists that around 500 conscript soldiers who had fought in the Kursk region had been exchanged in prisoner swaps. There are currently no conscripts in Ukrainian captivity.
According to servicemen interviewed by the journalists, the Russian command began deploying conscripts to the border in the Kursk region as early as the spring of 2024. At many positions, they accounted for between half and 85% of the personnel.
Fighting in the Kursk region began on 6 August 2024, when Ukrainian troops crossed Russia’s state border and took control of part of the region. The Russian authorities claimed to have fully regained control of the region only in late April 2025, following a large-scale counteroffensive.
