2024-07-14 14:14:55
More than 70,000 of its own soldiers dead and injured in just two months: According to British sources, Russia is suffering devastating losses in Ukraine. And the future does not bode well.
Over the past two months, Russia has lost more than 70,000 soldiers in its war of aggression against Ukraine, British military intelligence reports. These soldiers have either been killed or seriously injured. The losses reflect the intensity of the fighting, especially after the opening of a new front in the Kharkiv region in May. Average daily losses have since risen to more than 1,000 soldiers.
The British Ministry of Defense attributes this to an intensification of the offensive by Russia. A high-ranking NATO official described the losses as “astronomical” and explained that according to his information, Russia was losing almost 1,000 men per day in May. According to analyses by the Ministry of Defense, these numbers are expected to remain high in the coming months: “Russia wants to overcome the Ukrainian defense with sheer numbers.”
Despite the short duration of the offensive, it thinned Ukrainian resources in some places and allowed Russia to make further gains in the nearby Donetsk region. But a combination of a strong Ukrainian defense and a poorly trained Russian army weakened the effectiveness of this strategy.
Russia’s second approach, using assault groups of 10 to 15 infantrymen, led to smaller gains. However, according to the British Ministry of Defense, this tactic proved unsuitable for significant breakthroughs. Larger attacks, such as the one in Avdiivka, proved to be too costly and were therefore not considered sustainable. This change in strategy shows that Russia is trying to minimize losses – at the expense of effectiveness.