Russia Hits Major Artillery Losses Milestone

Russia hit a major milestone in its artillery losses in the war in Ukraine, according to an update from the Ukrainian military on Tuesday.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces posts figures on Russia's troop and equipment losses as part of its daily update on the war, which began on February 24, 2022. It said Russia lost 48 artillery systems in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 13,029.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said in a post on its social media channels that "13,000 russian artillery systems have been destroyed since the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion. +1,018 since the beginning of May. That's what we call an effective counter-battery warfare."

The latest figures come as Moscow's forces push to make significant gains in eastern Ukraine. Moscow's forces kick-started an offensive in the Kharkiv region on May 10, seizing a number of villages on Ukraine's northeastern frontier as Kyiv suffered a shortage of ammunition and personnel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 16 that while Moscow's forces had advanced, his troops were stabilizing the situation. But he warned on Sunday that Russia is preparing for a new offensive close to the border.

This could be part of an attempt to draw Kyiv's troops to the area and "prepare for offensive operations that aim to expand the Russian foothold in the international border area in northeastern Ukraine," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank, said on Sunday.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces also said Moscow lost 1,460 soldiers over the past day, bringing the total to 503,800. Russia has also lost a total of 7,692 tanks, 14,858 armored combat vehicles, 17,740 vehicles and fuel tanks and 357 military jets and 326 helicopters in the war, the update said.

Newsweek could not independently verify Kyiv's figures and has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment via email.

Estimates of casualty numbers vary, with the figures offered by Ukraine usually exceeding those of its Western allies. Moscow rarely shares information on its number of casualties.

Like Moscow, Kyiv does not provide updated information on its own casualties. A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment leaked in April 2023 said that Ukraine had suffered 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, including 15,500 to 17,500 dead.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its military has so far destroyed 604 Ukrainian aircraft, 274 helicopters, 24,739 unmanned aerial vehicles, 524 anti-aircraft missile systems, 16,182 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,322 combat vehicles, 9,914 field artillery guns and mortars, and 22,060 units of special military vehicles.

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