Russia has lost more than 8,000 soldiers and almost 80 tanks in the past week, according to figures from Ukraine's military, as a new Russian push gets underway in the northeast of the embattled country.
Moscow's forces lost 8,030 fighters and 79 tanks in the past seven days, according to statistics from Kyiv's military. Russia had sustained 1,260 casualties in the past day, Kyiv's armed forces said.
It is very difficult to work out accurate counts of Russia's and Ukraine's losses, and Newsweek could not independently verify Kyiv's tally of Moscow's losses.
The Russian Defense Ministry has been approached for comment via email.
There are fluctuations in reported casualty counts, often in line with intense battles for key settlements. Russian casualties, by Kyiv's counts, spiked during the battle for the eastern Donetsk city of Bakhmut in early 2023 and before Moscow took control of the former Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka in February this year.
On Friday, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had "tried to expand operations" against Ukrainian forces in the northeast of the country. Kyiv was quickly sending reinforcements to positions in the Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, the president said.
In its initial invasion in early 2022, Russia claimed swathes of territory in northeastern Ukraine, including parts of the Kharkiv region. In its counteroffensive later that year, Kyiv retook many parts of the Russian-held areas.
Reports in recent weeks had suggested Russia was preparing to mount a possible offensive on northeastern Ukraine.
On Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry said it had claimed a series of villages on the border, including the settlements of Borysivka, Ohirtseve and Pletenivka.
"The enemy is actively attacking our units in several directions with the aim of advancing deep into the territory of our state," Ukraine's army chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sunday. Gains in border villages are more significant because of how close the city of Kharkiv is to internationally-recognized Russian territory, the U.S.-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Saturday.
Kharkiv regional officials reported intensified shelling and attacks, including on the border city of Vovchansk, to the northeast of the city of Kharkiv. It is Ukraine's second-largest city, and has borne the brunt of Russian strikes in recent weeks.
The U.S. has said it is "certainly possible" that Russia could be gearing up for a larger attack on Kharkiv, although Ukrainian officials say Russia likely does not have the capacity to maintain assaults in the east and take Kharkiv.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more
