Russia Loses 33 Artillery Systems, 31 APVs and 19 Tanks in a Day: Ukraine

Russia has lost dozens of artillery systems, armored protected vehicles (APVs), and tanks in a single day of fighting, according to Ukrainian officials.

The latest report by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia lost 33 artillery systems, 31 APVs, and 19 tanks between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Since the war began in February 2022, Kyiv has claimed Russia has lost a total of 5,877 tanks, 8,347 artillery systems, and 10,919 armored personnel vehicles.

Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the claims made by Ukraine's armed forces. Russia rarely releases information about its battlefield losses.

In the December 25 report shared on its Facebook page, the Ukraine armed forces also said Russia suffered 760 soldier casualties, two aircraft and two anti-aircraft warfare systems.

Kyiv has claimed Russia has suffered 353,950 soldier casualties, 329 aircraft, and 613 anti-aircraft warfare systems since the outbreak of the war.

The investigation outlet Mediazona and BBC News Russian service said 39,424 Russian soldiers had been killed as of December 15, although the death toll "is likely significantly higher."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment via email.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is continuing to portray himself as a gracious leader who cares about the well-being of military personnel as the war continues to grind on.

"Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin published footage on December 24 of a December 19 ceremony at the Russian National Defense Management Center where Putin spoke with Russian military personnel who said that they wanted to see their loved ones but that their commanders had to give them leave," the Institute of the Study of War (ISW) said in its December 24 report.

"Putin responded, 'Let them rest. The commander has already decided. That's me.'

The ISW said Putin's seemingly spontaneous granting of personnel leave is an effort to portray himself as an involved wartime leader who responds to his troops' requests and rewards those who are loyal to him.

But a video of a supposed Russian soldier showed there were tensions among the country's troops and its leaders.

The soldier, who claimed to be filmed near Mar'inka — just southwest of the eastern city of Donetsk, hit out at Putin, Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu and questioned where the rest of the nation's army was.

"Look at these ********: When we are fighting here when we are rotting in the trenches, they are wearing 23 million (rubles worth necklace) and they boast about it." The figure is equivalent to about $250,000.

"Comrade Putin, Comrade, damn it, what is this supposed to mean? Are we ******* sitting in the trenches for these *************? Will you tell us when the term [of our military service] ends?

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