Russia has noticed a sharp drop in the death toll among its forces as its forces continue to advance in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to recent estimates from Kyiv’s military.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which publishes estimates of Russian troop and equipment losses, said in an update on Monday that Russia had lost 640 infantrymen in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 437,390. This is a significant drop from just over a week ago, when Kyiv said daily deaths of Russian infantrymen exceeded 1,000.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia publishes detailed or normal casualty figures. Newsweek has not independently verified those figures and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
The death toll has been at an all-time high on both sides in recent months, specifically in the eastern part of Donetsk, in the city of Avdiivka, a key hotbed for Moscow since October, where the war has earned the label of “meat grinder”. It took place, accumulating a high number of casualties and absorbing significant resources.
Years of Ukrainian defense of the city eventually turned into a retreat under intense Russian pressure. Kyiv’s forces withdrew last month “to encircle and maintain the life and health of the servicemen,” Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said.
Russia has since said its forces have captured several villages in the region, adding Nevelske, Orlivka, Krasnoye and the Ivanivske agreement, taking advantage of the current ammunition shortage in Ukraine that U. S. officials say may simply be “catastrophic” due to the end of March.
Two U. S. officials made the assessment in an interview with ABC News that expired last month, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The scenario starts now and contributes to continue to worsen as the spring and summer pass. So the era we’re entering is a critical era,” a senior U. S. defense official told the network.
A U. S. $60 billion package requested through President Joe Biden is stalled in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Estimates on the number of casualties vary, with Ukraine’s figures exceeding those of its Western allies. Moscow rarely stores data on the number of casualties in the war. In September 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 5,937 infantrymen had been killed since the start of the war.
Kyiv, like Moscow, provides up-to-date data on war losses. A U. S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment, leaked in April 2023, indicated that Ukraine had suffered between 124,500 and 131,000 casualties, totaling between 15,500 and 17,500 deaths.
Russia has lost a total of 10,877 artillery systems, 13,183 armored fighting vehicles, 6,887 tanks and 347 military aircraft in the ongoing war, Kyiv said on Monday.
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Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek journalist based in Kuala Lumpur. She focuses on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel joined Newsweek in 2021 and in the past worked with media outlets such as the Daily Express, The Times, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Grazia. She holds a Master’s degree in City Press Journalism from the University of London and a BA in Russian-language journalism from Queen Mary, University of London. Languages: English, Russian
You can contact Isabel by emailing i. vanbrugen@newsweek. com or following her on X @isabelvanbrugen