The Russian army has lost over 20,800 personnel in the Kursk direction, including 7,905 killed, and over 700 Russian soldiers have been taken prisoner.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, wrote this on Facebook.
According to Syrskyi, in May, intelligence confirmed that the Russian forces planned an offensive in the Sumy direction from Russia's Kursk region to create a so-called buffer zone in northern Ukraine, as a continuation of the Russian operation in the Kharkiv direction. Thus, a decision was made to conduct a preemptive offensive operation, moving the fighting onto territory in the Kursk region.
"The Russian forces wanted to seize more territories in Ukraine’s Sumy region. However, Ukraine’s Defense Forces took preventive action and continue to destroy the enemy on its own territory," stated Syrskyi.
As of November 5, after nearly three months of this operation, Russian troops losses in the Kursk direction total 20,842 personnel, with 7,905 killed, 12,220 wounded, and 717 taken prisoner.
Additionally, over the same period, 1,101 units of Russian weaponry and military equipment have been destroyed, including 54 tanks, 276 armored vehicles, 107 artillery pieces and mortars, 5 multiple-launch rocket systems, and 659 vehicles.
Syrskyi also noted that around 2,000 Ukrainian servicemembers have received state awards for their bravery and successful actions during the Kursk operation.
"Now Russia wants Ukrainian forces to withdraw from this area. The enemy has concentrated around 45,000 soldiers there and is trying to increase their numbers. Russia lacks its own troops for this direction, so they are attempting to bring in soldiers from North Korea," emphasized Syrskyi.
