Russian losses surge: 600,000 casualties in Ukraine conflict
Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army has lost over 600,000 soldiers (both killed and wounded), with September marking the bloodiest month in the conflict's history, reports "The New York Times," citing Pentagon data. American officials have also estimated the losses on the Ukrainian side, although Kyiv closely guards these figures.
According to the United States, Russian losses in the war currently amount to about 615,000 people. This figure includes 115,000 soldiers killed and 500,000 wounded.
Estimated losses for Ukraine
The Pentagon has also estimated the losses of Kyiv's forces. As noted by the NYT, Ukrainian officials carefully guard this data, even from Americans. However, one official mentioned that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have lost over 300,000 people—57,500 killed and 250,000 wounded.
In February 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that 31,000 Ukrainian military personnel had lost their lives in the war with Russia. This was the first and so far only official statement regarding front-line losses.
"War of attrition"
American officials attribute the high number of Russian casualties to the ongoing "war of attrition," where each side tries to exhaust the other by inflicting maximum losses, hoping to break the enemy's capability and will to continue fighting.
"I think we’ll continue to see high losses on the Ukrainian side," said a senior U.S. military official.
American and British military analysts estimate that Russian casualties average a "record" 1,271 people per day. At the same time, Russia consistently recruits 25,000 to 30,000 new soldiers monthly, nearly as many as it loses. This enables the Russian army to continue sending waves of troops to Ukrainian positions, hoping to suppress them and break through the trench lines.
American officials also indicated that dictator Vladimir Putin is attempting to avoid mass mobilization, which would be "deeply unpopular domestically." Instead, Russia has offered substantial bonuses and other incentives for volunteer soldiers to avoid large-scale mobilization, said American officials.
"We’re just watching very closely how long that stance can actually be one that he can maintain," said a senior Pentagon official.
Unprecedented pace of advance
Meanwhile, in August and September, the Russian Armed Forces advanced in Ukraine's Donetsk region "at a pace not seen since 2022," wrote "The Washington Post."
During this time, Ukrainian military personnel admitted to the newspaper that the Russian army was advancing "with speed and aggression not seen since the full invasion in 2022." This shift is due to Russia's new tactics. A few months ago, Putin's soldiers would storm fortifications in groups of 10-20 soldiers, but now only in groups of four, minimizing their detection.
Kyiv used this tactic during last year's fall counteroffensive. The difference is that Russian troops outnumber the Armed Forces of Ukraine in terms of artillery, drones, and soldiers.
