According to a declassified US intelligence assessment that was given to Congress, Russia has lost 87% of its active-duty infantry soldiers and 2/3 of its tanks compared to before the invasion of Ukraine.
Despite tremendous casualties, Russian President Vladimir Putin is relentless in his decision to continue the war as it nears its second anniversary early next year. U.S. officials have warned that Ukraine is still very vulnerable since the country’s much-anticipated counteroffensive failed to get traction in the autumn.
The assessment was submitted to lawmakers on the hill on Monday. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has begun another effort to get more funding for Ukraine. Some Republicans have been reluctant to keep shoveling cash to assist Ukraine.
Data published by the Ukrainian military shows that since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine about 22 months ago, Russia has lost almost 350,000 soldiers. The military reported 1,080 casualties among Russian forces on Thursday, raising the total to 350,270. According to Moscow, this loss occurred over the previous 24 hours. As the fighting for control of the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine has heated up, the number of Russian casualties has increased dramatically.
The exact number of casualties is uncertain, although estimates put the Ukrainian toll higher than that of its Western allies. Russia is tight-lipped on the amount of casualties it has suffered throughout the conflict. Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defense minister, announced 5,937 casualties since hostilities started in September 2022. The identities of 39,424 Russian servicemen and women who have lost their lives in the conflict in Ukraine were revealed on December 19th in a joint investigation by the Russian Service of the BBC and the independent Russian news agency Mediazona.
Similarly, Kyiv does not disclose its military deaths. The number of casualties in Ukraine ranged from 124,500 to 131,000, with 15,500 to 17,500 people losing their lives, according to a leaked estimate by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency in April. Since October 10, Russia has sent hundreds of soldiers, tanks, and military vehicles into the region.
