MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday that 498 Russian soldiers had died in Ukraine and another 1,597 had been wounded since the beginning of Moscow's military operation there, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

       It was the first time that Moscow had put a figure on its casualties.

       The ministry also said that more than 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers and "nationalists" had been killed and about 3,700 wounded, according to Interfax. The numbers could not be independently verified and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

       (Reporting by Reuters)