Ukraine touts capture of large group of soldiers inside Russia

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian special forces captured a group of more than 100 Russian soldiers on Wednesday during Kyiv's cross-border incursion into the western Russian region of Kursk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Maliuk said on Thursday.

"We conducted a sophisticated operation, as a result of which 102 Russians were captured. We are already thinking in perspective how to make the most of this - to bring our defenders home," he said on Telegram referring to a possible prisoner swap.

The 102 servicemen of Russia's 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment and its "Akhmat" unit are the largest group of soldiers to be captured at the same time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, a source in the SBU said.

"They captured and cleared a sprawling, concrete and well-fortified company stronghold from all sides - with underground communications and personnel accommodation, a canteen, an armoury and even a bathhouse," the source said.

Ukraine launched its surprise push into the Kursk region on Aug. 6 and has so far claimed it controlled the area of 1,150 square kilometres (444 sq miles).

Pictures shared by the source showed dozens of Russian servicemen sitting or lying on the ground in a concrete bunker with their helmets and weapons piled up near the walls.

Ukraine's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said this week that he had talks with his Russian counterpart about an exchange of prisoners.

Ukraine and Russian regularly swap prisoners of war. The latest exchange was last month. Ukrainian officials have said that Kyiv has secured the return of 3,405 people from Russian captivity since the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Olena Harmash, additional reporting Yuliia Dysa; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Alistair Bell)