Russia Has Suffered Staggeringly High Losses, U.S. Report Says
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Russia has suffered 315,000 casualties in the Ukraine war, nearly 90% of its personnel at the start of the conflict.
- Russia has lost 2,200 tanks out of 3,500, and one-third of its armored vehicles have been knocked out of action.
- The Biden administration is seeking congressional approval for $50 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine.
- The war has set back Russia's military modernization by 18 years.
- The scale of losses has forced Russia to take extraordinary measures to sustain its ability to fight.
SUMMARY
The Russian push in eastern Ukraine has resulted in heavy losses but no strategic gains on the battlefield. Russia has suffered from a staggeringly high number of losses, with 315,000 troops killed or wounded out of the 360,000 at the start of the war. Moscow's equipment has also been heavily damaged, with 2,200 tanks lost out of 3,500, forcing them to use 50-year-old T-62 tanks from storage. The Biden administration declassified the information about Russian battlefield losses as it tries to persuade Congress to approve additional military assistance to Ukraine. Russia's attempt to go on the offensive in the east has resulted in no strategic gains and has come at a severe cost in casualties. The administration has asked Congress for about $50 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine, which depends heavily on the United States and NATO countries for weapons and ammunition. The war has set back Russia's military modernization by 18 years, and the scale of losses has forced Russia to take extraordinary measures to sustain its ability to fight.