Russia has suffered heavy casualties and lost dozens of tanks over the past week, according to the Ukrainian military.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin's army has recently gained the upper hand on the battlefield as Ukraine continues to wait on a potential lifeline in the form of long-stalled U.S. military aid, the latest figures from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suggest that Moscow's advances have come at a high price.
From Sunday to Friday, 4,180 invading Russian troops were lost—including deaths and combat-ending injuries—while 31 tanks were destroyed by Kyiv, according to Facebook posts from the general staff. In addition, 87 Russian armored personnel vehicles were purportedly lost, as were 76 drones.
Notable Ukrainian battlefield victories over the past week have included shooting down a Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber—a first in the more than two-year war—and the purported April 13 killing of Colonel Pavel Alexandrovich Kropotov, the commander of Russia's 59th Guards Communications Brigade, in the largely-occupied Luhansk region.
Newsweek is unable to independently verify Kyiv's figures or any other Russia-Ukraine war casualty claims. The Russian Ministry of Defense via email on Friday night for comment.
Tallies for Russian casualties have also been difficult to confirm throughout the war, and Ukraine's figures are higher than many other estimates. The Kremlin rarely releases its own numbers, and when it does, the figures are thought to be undercounted.
Despite the Russian casualties and equipment losses, Ukraine has also suffered significantly due to a multitude of Russian airstrikes and fighting on the ground over the past week.
While the number of Ukrainian casualties is unclear, at least seven people including two children were killed during a Russian strike in the Dnipropetrovsk region on Friday, while another 18 people were killed in the city of Chernihiv earlier this week, according to the BBC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lamented the recent Russian attacks and pleaded with Ukraine's international "partners" to send Kyiv surplus air defense systems in his nightly address on Friday.
"Today is a difficult day," Zelensky said. "Missile strikes. Right in the center of the city of Dnipro, the regular buildings. A house, a railway station...Today there was shelling and strikes in Donetsk, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions...There are many victims."
"Ukraine appeals to partners for air defense systems that they have—in warehouses, in storage bases," he continued. "This year cannot be just a year of further discussions...Ukraine needs air defense, and the partners can help with it."
Zelensky may soon get long-awaited help from the United States, with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson this week agreeing to hold votes on standalone aid foreign bills, including the more than $60 billion requested by President Joe Biden for Ukraine. A vote is expected on Saturday.
According to Ukraine's figures, Russia has lost a total of 457,830 military personnel since the invasion began on February 24, 2022. In addition to the troop casualties, Russia has also purportedly lost 7,205 tanks, 13,852 armored personnel vehicles, 11,658 artillery systems, 672 aircraft and helicopters and 9,311 drones.
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Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
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