Marking one year since the launch of the cross-border campaign, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi detailed the operation’s toll: over 77,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded, including around 4,000 North Korean nationals fighting alongside Russia.
Updated Aug 06, 2025 13:25
3 min read
Authors
Ukrainian forces have inflicted signiicant losses on Russian troops during the yearlong offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, according to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, on August 6.
Ukrainian forces also destroyed or damaged 7,236 units of Russian military equipment, including 211 tanks, 1,083 armored vehicles, 907 artillery systems, 3 helicopters, and 1 aircraft.
For over a year, Ukraine has been carrying out active operations on Russian territory – in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Once again, Ukrainians have managed to prove to the world that it is absolutely possible to put Russia in its place and to respond to its attacks with… pic.twitter.com/LOV8aFLmNT
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 6, 2025
“We didn’t wait for the blow—we struck first”
Syrskyi said the Kursk offensive, launched on August 6, 2024, marked the first time Ukraine took the full-scale war into Russian territory.
The move was a direct response to Russian preparations for a renewed offensive in the northern Kharkiv region.
A Ukrainian tank drives on the road on September 16, 2024, in the Kursk region, Russia. (Source: Getty Images)
“We didn’t wait for the blow—we struck first,” Syrskyi said. “Through our actions, we demonstrated that Ukraine is not only capable of defending itself, but also of preemptive and effective counterattacks.”
Ukrainian units managed to break through Russian defenses, disrupt logistics deep in enemy territory, and at the operation’s peak, held control over up to 1,300 square kilometers of the Kursk region.
A strategic and humanitarian win
The operation has had significant humanitarian and strategic effects. Ukraine captured 1,018 Russian prisoners of war, many of whom have already been used in exchange deals to bring back hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers, including those held since 2022.
Syrskyi noted that the operation demoralized Russian troops, forcing Moscow to redeploy reserves to the Kursk front, weakening its forces elsewhere.
A Ukrainian soldier of the 33rd assault battalion helps a local woman fix a flashlight on August 16, 2024, in Sudzha, Russia. (Source: Getty Images)
The Russian army was only able to begin reclaiming lost positions after committing troops from North Korea and increasing its use of guided aerial bombs in the region.
“The scale of enemy losses, the effectiveness of our asymmetric offensive actions, and our unwavering adherence to international humanitarian law on Russian territory have been recognized globally,” Syrskyi said. “This has provided invaluable experience for both our forces and our foreign allies.”
Kursk operation: still ongoing
Despite reduced intensity, Syrskyi confirmed that Ukrainian forces remain active in Russia’s Glushkovo district of the Kursk region, tying down Russian units and maintaining strategic pressure.
“August 6 is a landmark date in Ukraine’s military history,” Syrskyi emphasized. “This operation is further proof that the Ukrainian military has strategic vision, strength, and will.”
The Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) drives down the street on August 27, 2024, in the Kursk region, Russia. (Source: Getty Images)
He expressed deep gratitude to all Ukrainian soldiers involved in the campaign and honored the memory of those who died during the offensive.
“Your professionalism, courage, resilience, and dedication empower all of Ukraine,” he wrote. “We remember our fallen comrades, who gave their lives for Ukraine. They remain with us—in our mission and in our Victory.”
A Ukrainian military man sits behind an MR-2 Viktor anti-aircraft system on September 11, 2024, in Sudzha, the Kursk region, Russia. (Source: Getty Images)
Earlier, Ukraine had liberated the village of Kindrativka in the northern Sumy region.
The operation was carried out by military units and formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces operating under the “Kursk” group of forces.
Related articles