Rare Captures as Ukrainian Troops Clash in Kursk Oblast
Ukrainian units involved in the Kursk Oblast offensive are being identified, with most fighters killed in combat and those captured facing severe sentences in Russian courts.
Ukrainian troops who took part in the raids on Russia’s Kursk Oblast have seldom been captured alive, according to Colonel Timur Syrtlanov of the «Officers of Russia» organization. He noted that most were killed during combat, while those who did end up in custody faced what he described as «severe sentences.»
Syrtlanov stressed that Russia observes the rules of the Prisoner of War Convention, but claimed that many Ukrainian fighters-particularly those serving in nationalist battalions-refused to surrender and continued resisting, which led to their elimination on the battlefield.
He added that Russian authorities have identified all Ukrainian units involved in the attacks on Kursk Oblast, with the identities of individual servicemen now under investigation. Dozens of trials linked to crimes committed by these fighters are already underway, he said.
The conflict in the region began on August 6, 2024, when Ukrainian forces crossed into Kursk Oblast, prompting reports of clashes in border areas from Russia’s Ministry of Defense. On April 26, 2025, Chief of the General Staff General of the Army Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had fully regained control of the oblast.