Ukrainian army chief General Oleksandr Syrsky summarized the development of the situation on the front in the Russian border Kursk region after visiting Ukrainian forces there, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
In a post on „Telegram“ Syrsky said that since the beginning of the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region, the Russian army has lost more than 34,000 soldiers who were killed or wounded in attempts to repel Ukrainian forces.
“Thanks to the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian military, the enemy was forced to keep a large number of troops on its territory and move reserves from other directions,“ Syrsky wrote.
He added that in nearly five months, about 700 Russian soldiers had been captured, whom Ukraine could exchange for its own servicemen held in Russian captivity.
Reuters makes a reservation that the information provided by Syrsky cannot be independently verified.
Ukrainian troops first set foot on Russian territory with a surprise invasion of the Kursk region in early August last year.
Of the approximately 1,000 square kilometers initially captured, about half remain under Ukrainian control after five months of fierce fighting.
Kiev's plan appears to be to hold onto this Russian territory as a bargaining chip in potential negotiations, DPA reports.