Russian Losses in Ukraine Hit Another Grim Milestone

Russia has lost more than 500 armored vehicles per month since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to Kyiv's latest figures.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry posted on X, formerly Twitter, about how many pieces of equipment its forces had managed to destroy in the first 24 months of the war started by Vladimir Putin. In the post, it said on Monday, "13,000 Russian armored combat vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

"It's, on average, more than 500 armored vehicles per month. Ukrainian warriors destroy Russian weapons with incredible speed. Bravo!" the defense ministry added.

The update on Monday also said that, over the course of the war, Russia had lost 6,809 tanks, 12,141 vehicles and fuel tanks, as well as 1,017 multiple-launch rocket systems and 720 air-defense systems.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment about the unverified figures, with true numbers of losses of either side difficult to ascertain.

The latest numbers from the website Oryx, which lists equipment losses based on video or still footage, said that, as of Monday, Russian forces had lost 1,261 armored fighting vehicles, 858 of which were destroyed, 34 damaged, 101 abandoned and 268 captured.

Oryx says that the standard of proof required means that the amount of equipment destroyed is "significantly higher" than it records. Its latest figures said that Russian forces had lost 2,827 tanks.

Ukraine also said on Monday that Russian forces had lost 810 troops the previous day, taking total losses of troops, including those both dead and injured, to 431,550.

In analysis released on March 14 for the Jamestown Foundation, military analyst Pavel Luzin said Russia had been taking Soviet-era arms out of storage to offset its dwindling supply of weapons, despite these reserves being limited.

Luzin, visiting scholar at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, said that the storage bases "are not endless" and Russia "cannot replenish these arms and material."

If Ukraine keeps up combat intensity and Russia continues to face high equipment losses this year, "it will be much harder for the Russian army to maintain its military power for offensive operations in 2025," Luzin added.

Vladimir Putin has claimed victory in a controlled presidential election. The Kremlin wanted a win to consolidate backing in the country for the full-scale invasion, despite the huge cost in Russian lives and equipment and an economy buffeted by sanctions.

"Despite economic challenges and military losses, Putin's ability to maintain domestic support amidst sanctions underscores his strategic resilience, raising concerns amongst neighboring states about potential provocations under his continued leadership, " Markus Korhonen, senior associate at security firm Strategic Intelligence, told Newsweek.

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