# Prisoner exchange and the Kursk incursion (2024)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/2024-prisoner-exchange-and-the-kursk-incursion
Categories: battle

On 1 August 2024 Russia and Western countries carried out the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War in Ankara, freeing journalist Evan Gershkovich and Russian dissidents. On 6 August Ukrainian forces crossed into Kursk Oblast, the first occupation of Russian territory by a foreign army since the Second World War; North Korean troops were later deployed there alongside Russian forces. In December 2024 the Assad government in Syria, Russia's ally, fell. The incursion brought the ground war onto Russian soil.

## Why it matters
The incursion brought the ground war onto Russian soil.

Ruler at the time: [Vladimir Putin](https://history-russia.com/rulers/vladimir-putin-2012)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 2024 Ankara prisoner exchange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Ankara_prisoner_exchange)
- [Wikipedia — Kursk campaign](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kursk_campaign)
- [Wikipedia — History of the Russian Federation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Russian_Federation)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Prisoner exchange and the Kursk incursion](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Prisoner+exchange+and+the+Kursk+incursion)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)