Russia has seen a sharp drop in troop deaths as its forces continue to make gains in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to recent estimates from Kyiv's military.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, which posts estimates of Russia's troop and equipment losses, said in an update on Monday that Russia lost 640 soldiers over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 437,390. It's a significant drop from just over a week ago when Kyiv said daily Russian troop deaths were regularly over 1,000.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia releases detailed or regular casualty numbers. Newsweek has not independently verified these figures and has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.
The casualty numbers have been high on both sides in the past few months, especially around the eastern town of Avdiivka in Donetsk—a key focus for Moscow since October—where the battle earned the label of "meat grinder." The term describes the prolonged battles that occurred, racking up high casualty counts and absorbing significant resources.
Ukraine's years-long defense of the city, in the end, turned into a withdrawal under intense Russian pressure. Kyiv's forces withdrew last month "to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen," said Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
Since then, Russia has said its forces have captured a number of villages in the region, including Nevelske, Orlivka, Krasnoye, and the Ivanivske settlement, taking advantage of Ukraine's current shortages of ammunition which U.S. officials say could become "catastrophic" by late March.
Two U.S. officials made the assessment in an interview with ABC News late last month, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"The juncture starts now and it just keeps getting worse progressively through the spring and into summer. So, this time period that we are entering is a critical time period," a senior U.S. defense official told the network.
A $60 billion U.S. aid package requested by President Joe Biden is stalled in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.
Estimates of casualty numbers vary, with Ukraine's figures usually exceeding those of its Western allies. Moscow rarely shares information on the number of casualties it has sustained in the war. In September 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 5,937 troops had been killed since the war began.
Kyiv, like Moscow, does not provide updated information on its war casualties. A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment leaked in April 2023 said that Ukraine had suffered 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, including 15,500 to 17,500 dead.
Russia has also lost a total of 10,877 artillery systems, 13,183 armored combat vehicles, 6,887 tanks, and 347 military jets in the ongoing war, Kyiv said on Monday.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
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