Russia on Pace For 100,000 Dead Soldiers by Christmas: Ukraine Defense

The death toll of Russian soldiers in Ukraine keeps mounting at 300-600 per day, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, which updates the tally every day. Keeping its current pace, Russia could hit the grim 100,000 mark by Christmas Day.

Ukraine estimates there have been 94,140 Russian deaths since the war began nearly 10 months ago. This includes 380 in the last day. The mark was at 91,150 just seven days earlier. At 3,000 soldiers killed each week, the death toll would reach 97,000 by Dec. 18 and perhaps 100,000 by Christmas Day.

Recent fighting in the Bakhmut region has the Russians losing more than 50 soldiers a day alone, Ukraine stated.

"It's a very difficult situation" Eastern Military Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevaty said last week.

Russia doesn't normally publicly comment on its number of losses but Ukraine publishes its estimates daily of Russian losses, with everything from soldiers to killed to airplanes and drones shot down. For example, Ukraine reported that it destroyed five Russian tanks the previous day, bringing that total to nearly 9,000 since the war began.

Russia overall has averaged about 320 deaths per day since the war began but that number, according to Ukraine, has generally been above 500 per day over the last few months.

Winter officially began in Ukraine on December 1, and the next 90-120 days could be extremely harsh for both Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his nation to help any fellow citizens whenever they can, not just when they're asked for help.

"To get through this winter, we have to help each other more than ever and care for each other even more," Zelensky said during a recent address to his nation. "And please don't ask if you can help, and how. Just help when you see you can.

"To get through the winter, we have to be even more resilient and even more united than ever. There can be no internal conflicts and strife, which can weaken us all, even if someone out there thinks that somehow it will strengthen him personally. We need more interaction than ever. All of Ukraine has to become one big Point of Invincibility and work every day, work every night. The state, business, people - all of us, Ukrainians, all together."

It's closing in on 10 months since Russia began positioning troops along Ukraine's northern and western borders in late January while it also conducted military with neighboring Belarus. Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 this year and there have been heavy casualties on both sides.

Russia has flirted with the idea of using nuclear capabilities in the war while its ally, Belarus, said more than a week ago that it was conducting drills with Russia as if they were a "single army" together.