The governor of Russia’s Kursk border region has said that 46 Russian civilian residents of Kursk, who were been held by Ukraine, have been returned to Russia following negotiations.
Alexei Smirnov said the civilians, including 12 children, had been moved by Ukrainian troops into Ukraine, after Kyiv staged a cross-border incursion into the western Russian region in August.
A Ukrainian army source told AFP that Kyiv still controls over 800 sq km in Russia’s Kursk region, despite Russian attempts to dislodge them.
The source added that there are no immediate plans to withdraw and they would stay in the region “for as long as it is appropriate.”