Russian losses in Ukraine could be as high as 200,000 dead and wounded, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment.
On day 346 of the war, things continue to look grim for the Russian military as the two combatants are bracing for the next phase of the war.
Russian Casualties in Ukraine
The Russian forces continue to suffer extremely heavy casualties in Ukraine.
In the latest assessment of Russian casualties, U.S. and Western officials estimate that Moscow has lost almost 200,000 troops killed or wounded in the war so far.
That number is a sharp increase from the 100,000 casualty figure that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley had given back in November.
Since then, the Russian forces have been trying to capture Bakhmut, and although they have made some progress, the Ukrainian forces are in full control of the town in the Donbas.
Overall, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that as of Saturday, Ukrainian forces have killed approximately 130590 Russian troops (and wounded approximately twice to thrice that number)
Weapons and kit destroyed include: 294 fighter, attack, bomber, and transport jets, 284 attack and transport helicopters, 3218 tanks, 2220 artillery pieces, 6394 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 460 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), 18 boats and cutters, 5,081 vehicles and fuel tanks, 225 anti-aircraft batteries, 1,956 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 203 special equipment platforms, such as bridging vehicles, and four mobile Iskander ballistic missile systems, and 796 cruise missiles shot down by the Ukrainian air defenses.
More Weapons, Yes, But More Weapons Needed
Ukraine is receiving more weapon systems from the U.S. and NATO, but Kyiv wants more—and rightfully so.
The Russian forces are about to launch a large-scale offensive, and the Ukrainian military has its own major counteroffensive to think about. Ukraine needs as many weapons as possible to end this war as soon as possible.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to push for more weapons.
“Today, I spoke with the Minister of Defence of Poland in Kyiv – he, together with other partners and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, took part in the third meeting of the states that are members of our tank coalition. We are doing everything to ensure that our soldiers receive modern tanks as soon as possible,” Zelensky said in his daily update.
“And today, the United States announced another large package of defense support for our country. I thank President Biden, all friends of freedom in Congress, and every American for this tangible support!” the Ukrainian leader added.
Russian Annexations
Meanwhile, the Russian military has put the illegally annexed provinces of Ukraine under its direct control for operational purposes.
“The move highlights that the Russian military likely aspires to integrate newly occupied territory into a long-term strategic posture,” the British Military Intelligence assessed in its latest estimate of the war.
The Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk provinces are now under the control of the Russian Southern Military District.
“However, it is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the campaign: Russia currently deploys forces from across all of Russia’s military districts, commanded by an ad hoc deployed headquarters,” the British Military Intelligence added.
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Expert Biography: A 19FortyFive Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Dave
February 4, 2023 at 7:14 pm
Or the Russians could have less than 35,000 dead as Colonel Douglas Macgregor, and Scott Ritter said. Ritter believes Ukraine has 350,000 to 400,000 KIA.Much more likely as Ukraine is dragging people out of their house to serve, or roadblocks, etc.
Rick
February 4, 2023 at 8:25 pm
Dave,
If you are going to push propaganda at least make it believable.
3L120
February 4, 2023 at 11:02 pm
personally, I prefer to believe the Ukrainians over our intel. The latter do not have a great track record on their prognostic skills. Not to mention Gen. milley couldn’t find his large rear with both hands, much less come up with a honest estimate of losses.
Steve
February 5, 2023 at 1:59 am
Scott Ritter is a convicted sex offender and paid Russian propagandist. Hardly a credible source.
If the Russians weren’t experiencing heavier casualties, how did they manage to lose the Battle of Kiev? The Battle of Kharkiv? The Battle of Kherson?
Paul Hoffman
February 5, 2023 at 11:21 am
Why would anyone believe the Ukraine MOD? Add to that MI6?
Tamerlane
February 5, 2023 at 3:42 pm
Because, Steve, they were using non-infantry supported armored/mechanized formations instead of mechanized infantry backed forces.
Gee Stavros, if you’re going to push this Ukrainian propaganda on us Americans, at least make it remotely believable.
Злой пьяный русский медведь с балалайкой
February 6, 2023 at 12:29 am
The Turkish edition, with reference to the operational data of Israeli intelligence from January 14, reveals the terrible size of the losses of the Ukrainian army.
1. 157 thousand died.
2. 234 thousand were injured.
3. 17,230 in captivity.
4. 234 instructors from the USA and Britain died.
5. 2,458 soldiers from NATO countries died. Mostly from Poland, there are from Lithuania and Germany, but there are from all NATO countries a little bit.
6. 5,360 PMC mercenaries and volunteers died.
That is, Ukraine’s irretrievable losses are about 200 thousand. Saying “A”, you need to say “B”!
George
February 6, 2023 at 7:10 am
This post says the number might be 100k or 200k (based on a Times article which is loosely sourced to say the least) or 130,590 * 2x or 3x. But the title clearly states that Putin can’t hide 200k lost as though that is the definitive number when in fact the post itself pretty much says we have no friggin clue. In the past this would have been called yellow journalism.
common sense
February 6, 2023 at 8:43 am
still putting out this nonsense? no wonder nobody believes anything from the media anymore.
Serhio
February 6, 2023 at 11:06 am
After Colin Powell’s monstrous lies and his famous test tube, does anyone else believe the American intelligence services?
mawendt
February 6, 2023 at 12:33 pm
Idiots will argue numbers. Laugh at them. Regardless of the exact number, Russia’s losses are huge and indefensible for a supposedly first-tier professional army backed by supposedly quality equipment.
Truth is, the Russian military has been publicly trashed, and no matter the final outcome, local and international respect for the Russian Army is in the toilet. And if the Russian government implements changes to fix the glaring problems we see in open source reporting, it would take multiple decades to repair their image and effects to fix their military.
If things continue as they have the last year, as I believe is most likely until the Putin regime is cast down by their own citizens, it will only get worse for the Russians with the constant inject of Western high-tech military equipment. If it lasts another year, you’ll more or less see the Ukrainian claims of kills double.
And you can be silly and argue ‘yeah, but the Ukrainians lost… xxx’. A stupid argument when you open your eyes to a great and powerful nation Russia supposedly superior at tactics and strategy, that intended to roll over the little Ukraine in days, finds itself crippled and desperate a year later. It really doesn’t matter how Ukraine is – most people didn’t even think of Ukraine when discussing ‘Great Powers’ (usually US, China and Russia followed by Germany, UK, and France). Yet now nearly *everyone* knows of Ukraine, as the nation that has broke the Russian military without nuclear weapons.
And for Russian supporters, that stings. Russia might win in the end, but it will destroying their army along the way. More likely, Russia as we know it today will collapse inward and Ukraine will become Russian free.
Let’s see next February.
Charlie
February 6, 2023 at 1:26 pm
Stavros
I will accept the numbers you are stating. What happens if things even get a lot worse for Putin ? What should we do if he says the war is unwinnable and does a Harry Truman imitation and drops a tactical nuke on Kiev?
That’s why I liked Trump. Putin invaded no countries during the Trump presidency.
Bertram
February 6, 2023 at 3:51 pm
Always amusing when Russian trolls cite Scott Ritter.
Pedophile and convicted sex offender.
Alex
February 6, 2023 at 8:21 pm
“Russian losses in Ukraine could be as high as 200,000 dead and wounded, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment”.
Any actual proof though?
We were told for years that Trump is a Russian agent by the same U. S. Intelligence and now we’re supposed to believe something else?
Serhio
February 7, 2023 at 12:21 am
Bertram
“Always amusing when Russian trolls cite Scott Ritter.
Pedophile and convicted sex offender.”
How does the fact of committing a crime (which could have been an unfair provocation) prove a person’s unprofessionalism? It has nothing to do with it. Otherwise, you can say, “You have 20 parking tickets. You’re a troublemaker. We are taking away your right to vote”
El Mariachi
February 8, 2023 at 10:22 pm
Those numbers are vastly inaccurate, according to Mossad. I’ll take Mossad’s word over the Ukrainian government, because of course they can’t admit to losing.