Ukraine says it had captured more than 900 Russian troops over six months of fighting in the western Russian Kursk region.
Kyiv says a key goal of its struggling operation launched in August just over its border with Russia was to build up reserves of Russian soldiers to exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
“During the operation, Ukrainian forces captured 909 Russian servicemen, significantly replenishing the exchange fund,” the Ukrainian military said in a statement.
“This made it possible to bring home hundreds of Ukrainian defenders who had been held in Russian prisons,” it added.
