Russia Loses 41 Artillery Systems, 35 APVs in a Day: Ukraine

Moscow's forces lost 41 artillery systems and a total of 35 armored combat vehicles in a single day, Kyiv's military said in an update on Thursday.

The figures were provided by the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, which posts estimates of Russia's troop and equipment losses daily. Its latest update said Russia lost 1,160 soldiers over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 407,240.

Russia has also lost a total of 9,867 artillery systems, 12,373 armored combat vehicles, 6,523 tanks, and 339 military jets in the ongoing war, Kyiv said. Newsweek couldn't independently verify Ukraine's figures and contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment via email on Thursday.

The casualty numbers have been high on both sides these past few months especially around the eastern town of Avdiivka—a key focus for Moscow since October—where the battle earned the label of "meat grinder." The term describes the prolonged battles that occurred and racked up high casualty counts and absorbed significant resources.

Ukraine's years-long defense of the city, in the end, turned into a withdrawal under intense Russian pressure. This was confirmed early on Saturday by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who said the order was given "to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen." Russian forces are now reported to be simultaneously advancing in five main directions after Avdiivka's fall.

Estimates of casualty numbers vary, with Ukraine's figures usually exceeding those of its Western allies. Moscow rarely shares information on the number of casualties it has sustained in the war. In September 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 5,937 troops had been killed since the war began.

Kyiv, like Moscow, does not provide updated information on its war 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.

Ukraine this week said it has been successful in destroying Russian military jets. The commander of Ukraine's air force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, said in a statement on Wednesday that Kyiv had destroyed an Su-34 fighter-bomber—the seventh Russian military aircraft shot down by Ukraine's armed forces in a week.

The achievement was praised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video address on Wednesday night.

"Several outcomes of this day," said Zelensky. "First, I'd like to thank our Air Forces, everyone who protects or sky. There are good results regarding Russian military aircraft."

"Seven combat aircraft in one week. I thank you, our warriors, for your precision," the Ukrainian leader added.

Russia has been deploying aircraft less frequently after its recent string of losses, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on on national TV on Tuesday, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

"Our experience suggests that after Russian planes are downed and destroyed, the occupiers do not dare come closer—this is the case across the northern, southern, and eastern fronts," Ihnat said. "The closer the aircraft armed with guided bombs approach, the farther those bombs can reach into our defenses."

Moscow doesn't "act as boldly as before," because it understands that its forces are within the reach of Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses, said Ihnat.

Kyiv's forces are also reported to have destroyed Russian military equipment worth "millions" in a drone strike that targeted a warehouse in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, Telegram channels reported on Tuesday.

Ukraine's Bulava strike unit destroyed two Russian T-72 tanks, S-60 anti-aircraft guns, a BMP-3 Russian infantry fighting vehicle, Ural-4320 off-road vehicles, and a rare BMPT, also known as the "Terminator," which is an armored vehicle designed to accompany tanks in battle.

The drone strike took place on a Russian warehouse in the village of Staromlynivka, a Ukrainian Telegram channel that publishes news on first-person view (FPV) drones in the war said, sharing a video of the incident.

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