Ukraine’s recent military incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast has led to the capture of at least 247 Russian soldiers, according to an analysis by The Washington Post (WP).
The evidence is based on over 130 photos and videos, mainly shared by Ukrainian soldiers on social media, as well as images taken by a WP photographer at a Ukrainian prison holding Russian prisoners of war.
The WP’s review confirms Ukrainian claims of mass captures during the ongoing operation. The Kursk region, which borders Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, has been under frequent attack since Russian troops were pushed back across the border in April 2022.
Some of the captured Russian soldiers identified themselves as conscripts, young men aged 18 to 30 who are serving mandatory military service.
This revelation is politically sensitive for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has previously assured that conscripts would not be sent into combat, although Russian law permits it after four months of basic training.
Dara Massicot, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told WP, "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a video of Russian soldiers surrendering en masse like that."
She noted that the captured soldiers appeared to be inexperienced conscripts rather than seasoned troops.
The visuals depict Ukrainian forces capturing prisoners across more than 22 kilometers (14 miles) inside Russia. In several videos verified by WP, the captured soldiers identify themselves as conscripts, raising concerns about the Kremlin's use of young, inexperienced men in combat.
Footage from the village of Sverdlikovo, just half a mile inside Russia, shows at least 29 Russian soldiers being marched north along a small road, their arms raised in surrender. A drone captured the scene as the soldiers, flanked by Ukrainian forces, walked past residential buildings and trees.
Near the Sudzha border crossing, multiple videos document the capture of at least 40 Russian soldiers. Sudzha, a village located less than 10 kilometers (six miles) from Ukraine, has been a key location in the Ukrainian offensive.
The Ukrainian military, which shared the footage on its official channels, said that the operation was executed by its 80th Air Assault Brigade, with support from artillery and heavy armored vehicles.
Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian government has disclosed official numbers of Russian soldiers captured during the Kursk offensive, leaving the true scale of the situation open to speculation.
