Russia has suffered over 600,000 casualties since its military forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to a senior Defense Department official. The latest figure was provided by one of at least two U.S. officials granted anonymity to brief reporters on October 9 at the Pentagon on the course of the war.
Estimates of the total Russian casualties during the Ukraine war vary. The UK defense ministry in February said it estimated 350,000 Russian wounded or dead. The Ukrainian military on October 4 put the number at 658,000. Russia does not comment on its military losses.
In general, Kyiv also has not disclosed the number of Ukrainian soldier casualties as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion. However, in February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said some 31,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed.
September also saw Russian forces sustain more casualties in terms of soldiers both killed and wounded in action than in any other month of the war, one of the Pentagon officials said. “Russian losses, again, both killed and wounded in action in just the first year of the war exceeded the total of all Russian losses or Soviet losses in any conflict since World War II combined,” stated an official.
The estimates come as Russian forces have been gaining ground in eastern Donetsk region with Moscow’s troops entering Toretsk this week following a months-long offensive. Roughly a week prior to that incident, Russian forces seized Vuhledar on Donetsk-Zaporizhia border prompting Ukraine to withdraw its forces from that area.
Last month,the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its troops had retaken Uspenovka and Borki villages after Ukrainian forces began an incursion into Russian territory backin August.
Another senior military official mentioned that Russia has launched limited and “ineffective” counterattacks while making some gains but those advances have slowed down since then.
Overall there have been “no major changes” to Russia or Ukraine’s strategy according to another military official.
Russia is throwing troops into fight with attritional strategy while Ukrainians are mounting strong defense both on ground and air defense perspective he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troop numbers increase by180K for total forceof1.5M soldiers which will take effect from Dec1st.
Elsewhere one Defense Department official mentioned that Ukrainian forces have sunk destroyed or damaged atleast32 mediumto large navy vessels forcing Russia relocate Black Sea fleet away from Crimea.Ukraine’smilitary has destroyed more than two-thirds pre-war inventory oftanks she added.As result Putin equipped frontlineforceswith Soviet-era stockpilesand tanksfromWorldWarII
President Joe Biden announced new round USmilitary assistance worth about $8BntoUkraine.The package includes transfers Patriot missiles other air defensesystemsas well asthefirstUStransfersofprecision glide bomb called Joint Standoff Weapon whichhas range upto81 miles marking major upgrade weapons Ukraine using strikeRussianforces.In September Biden ensured allocation $5.55Bn remaining presidential drawdown authority did not expire with fiscal year ensuring United States can continue supporting Ukraine with this drawdown authority anotherofficialsaid.”The United States continues standwithUkraine as country stands againstRussian aggression” he concluded