The data coming from the front is devastating for Moscow. The total number of Russian victims (killed, wounded and missing) reached 1.2 million peopleof which the number of people killed is estimated at 275,000. up to 325 thousand For comparison, Ukraine lost 100,000 in the fight. up to 140 thousand soldiers.
What are the losses of Russian soldiers since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine?
How much are the losses of Ukrainians compared to Russians?
What are the reasons for Russia's small territorial gains?
What effects does the war have on the Russian economy?
Terrifying human losses in Russia. “Worse than Vietnam”
As CNN writes, the scale of the Russian defeat becomes even more clear when we compare it with history:
- Russia's losses are five times higher than its total losses in all wars since 1945, including Afghanistan and both Chechen wars,
- in December itself, Moscow was losing money 1000 soldiers a day,
- in the 1980s in Afghanistan, the USSR lost 20,000. people within 10 years; Russia is currently losing 30 thousand people in just a month.
The CSIS report directly attacks the narrative it repeats, among others: Donald Trump, claiming that “size will win” and that a Russian victory is inevitable. Experts indicate that Ukraine still has significant defensive advantage.
With a “defense in depth” strategy — using minefields, trenches, drones and artillery — Kiev thwarted Russian plans for rapid advances. Currently, the battlefield loss ratio is from 2.5 to 2 in favor of Ukraine.
Profits measured in meters. “Worse than the Somme”
Despite the enormous sacrifice of people, Russian territorial gains are marginal. According to the CSIS report, since 2022, Russia has increased the area of controlled Ukraine by only 12 percentand in the last two years it took less than 1.5 percent territory of the attacked country.
Russian progress in key points is downright humiliating for the “second army in the world”:
- in Czasiw Yar: 14.6 meters per day,
- in Kupiansk: less than 23 meters per day,
- in Pokrovsk: 69 meters per day.
These results are worse than those achieved by Allied troops during the bloody Battle of the Somme in 1916.
The war permanently destroys the Russian economy, notes CNN. Russia ceases to be a world power and becomes “secondary or tertiary economic power”. The country is struggling with high inflation, labor shortages and weak demand.
Although munitions production pumps up GDP, it does not build long-term prosperity. Russia also lags dramatically in the high-tech sector – no Russian company is among the hundred largest technology companies in the world, and in the ranking of artificial intelligence development, Moscow loses to countries such as Malaysia or Saudi Arabia.
Despite the tragic data, the authors of the report warn: Vladimir Putin will probably not agree to peace without further, decisive pressure from the West. If the United States and Europe do not fully exploit their military and economic potential, Putin will continue to fight, even if it means millions more victims.
