The latest figures from Kyiv show that Russian forces in Ukraine continue to suffer high casualty numbers, with over 1,000 daily losses reported on most days over the last week and nearly 6,000 total losses over the last five days. The total for the past week reached 7,980, with a daily average of 1,140. Russian losses increased in the second half of April during a push in the Donetsk region following the capture of the town of Avdiivka in February. The Ukrainian defense ministry describes the figures as “approximate” and includes both killed and injured personnel. President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously stated that 31,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed, although other estimates are higher.
In March, there were over 1,000 Russian losses in a day on nine occasions, 13 times in February, and only four times in January. The total Russian losses over the course of the war are reported by Kyiv to be 469,840, with a daily average of 560. Russian casualties have not been updated by Moscow since September 2022 when defense minister Sergei Shoigu stated that just under 6,000 personnel had been killed. The exact number of Russian casualties in Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion is difficult to determine. However, the British Secretary of State for the Armed Forces estimated that Moscow’s personnel losses had reached 450,000, including those who have been killed or wounded.
On April 27, Mediazona and BBC Russian reported that 51,679 Russian soldiers had been killed in the war, with over 3,400 officers included in the tally. This figure is likely underestimated as it is based on publicly available sources such as obituaries and online notices. Despite the high losses suffered by Russian forces, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that there were no confirmed advances by Russian forces in the Avdiivka area on Tuesday. Moscow is focusing on capturing the town of Chasiv Yar, which Kyiv has warned Vladimir Putin wants to take before the Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues to result in significant casualties for both Russian and Ukrainian forces, with daily losses surpassing 1,000 on multiple occasions in recent weeks. The situation remains fluid as both sides engage in intense fighting in various regions of the country. The exact number of casualties on both sides is difficult to ascertain, with differing reports and estimates provided by different sources. The toll of the war in terms of lives lost and injuries sustained is a tragic reminder of the human cost of armed conflict and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces are facing heavy losses as the conflict shows no signs of abating, with civilians also caught in the crossfire and suffering from the violence and destruction wrought by the war. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely and calls for a diplomatic solution to end the bloodshed and bring about lasting peace in Ukraine.
