More than 70 Russian conscripts were killed during the fighting in the Kursk region, according to an investigation
At least 77 Russian conscripts were killed in the first months of fighting along the border of the Kursk Oblast following the launch of the Ukrainian Defense Forces’ operation in 2024.
According to journalists, the conscripts were between 18 and 25 years old at the time of their deaths, with 20-year-olds accounting for the largest share of the fatalities.
According to the authors of the investigation, more than 30 conscripts remain missing even two years after the events in the Kursk region.
Journalists note that many of them may eventually be officially declared dead. Such cases were already recorded throughout 2025, and the most recent known decision to change a servicemember’s status was made in May 2026.
Throughout 2025, prisoner exchanges continued, including Russian conscripts captured in the Kursk region.
According to the Ukrainian project “I Want to Live,” a total of about 500 conscripts went through the exchange procedure.
By the second anniversary of the events in the Kursk region, it is claimed that the Ukrainian side was no longer holding any conscripts captive.
According to the testimonies of the servicemen themselves, as cited by the authors of the investigation, the transfer of conscripts to the border areas of the Kursk region began in late March 2024.
Some of the soldiers voluntarily agreed to this assignment, while the relatives of others tried to prevent their deployment.
At the same time, many soldiers did not inform their loved ones that they were stationed directly near the border, and in some cases, according to the journalists, the command supported this concealment.
The investigation states that at a military unit in Klintsy, Bryansk Oblast—where the 488th Regiment is stationed—conscripts were assured that they would be positioned behind border guards and contract soldiers.
However, sources interviewed by journalists claim that, along with contract soldiers and mobilized troops, it was conscripts who often formed the backbone of units at certain positions.
According to them, conscripts made up between 50% and 85% of the personnel in some units.
These are the findings of a journalistic investigation conducted by the publications “Important Stories” and “Versтка.”
Iryna Terekh, CEO of Fire Point, reported that the Ukrainian FP-7 ballistic missile is currently undergoing certification by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. According to Reuters, the missile’s first combat deployment could take place as early as the fall of 2026.
As a reminder, operators of the Ukrainian Defense Forces intercepted a Russian ZALA Z-20 reconnaissance drone at a record altitude of 6,858 meters. The target was destroyed by servicemen from STING of the 105th Border Guard Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
On the night of August 2, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 133 strike and decoy drones of various types. Air defense forces neutralized 109 enemy drones, but strikes were recorded at 19 locations.
