Russia Has Lost Over 20,000 Troops in February: Kyiv

Russia's forces in Ukraine have lost more than 20,000 soldiers in February with another week left in the month, according to data released by Kyiv's military.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Thursday that Russia has lost a total of 407,240 troops since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion on February 24, 2022. At the beginning of the month, the tally was at 387,060, meaning Russia has suffered a loss of 20,180 soldiers.

According to Ukraine, 1,160 of those human casualties came in the past day. Russia also lost seven tanks, 35 armored fighting vehicles, 41 artillery systems and 36 drones in the 24-hour period. During the course of the war, Putin's military has lost 6,523 tanks, 12,373 armored fighting vehicles and 7,596 drones.

Newsweek has not been able to verify these figures independently, and the Russian Ministry of Defense was contacted on Friday via email for comment.

Tallies for Russian casualties have been difficult to confirm throughout the war, and Ukraine's figures are higher than many other estimates. The Kremlin rarely releases its own numbers, and when it does, the figures are thought to be undercounted.

Kyiv also does not provide updated information on its war casualties. In April 2023, a leaked assessment from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said Ukraine had suffered 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, including 15,500 to 17,500 dead.

In its Thursday update, the General Staff reported there were 64 combat engagements on the front lines of the war over the past day. The Ukrainian Air Force was said to have targeted 10 areas where Russian forces were stationed and one Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber and three reconnaissance drones were shot down.

"In total, Russian invaders carried out 3 missile attacks and 113 airstrikes, as well as 105 MLRS [Multiple Launch Rocket System] attacks on the positions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and populated areas," the report said. "As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged."

Kyiv's military reported clashes in settlements throughout Ukraine over the past day, including near Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region. On Wednesday, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense wrote in an intelligence update that Russia has been building up its forces in Robotyne in a likely attempt to try to seize the village that was recaptured by Ukraine last year.

"In the Kherson sector, the Defense Forces are successfully maintaining their positions and repelling attacks by Russian occupation forces," the General Staff said in its update. "Despite suffering significant losses, the enemy persists in attempting to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions. In the past day alone, the enemy made four attempts to storm Ukrainian troops' positions on the left bank of the Dnieper River."

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