Putin Loses 1300 Troops in One Day in Ukraine

Russia endured one of its most catastrophic days of fighting on Sunday, taking the total number of casualties to over half a million.

As it continues to sacrifice both bodies and materiel to the frontlines, all while enduring costly economic sanctions, this high toll raises the question of how much longer its strategy of attrition warfare can be sustained.

A further 1,300 Russian military personnel died in the 24 hours up to Monday, June 24, during fighting in Ukraine, bringing the army's total casualties in Ukraine to around 535,660 soldiers.

The figure came from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, which has released daily tallies of Russian casualties and losses since the war officially began in February 2022.

In a Facebook post celebrating the hefty tally, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces repeated the figure and wrote: "Beat the occupier! Together we will win! Our strength is in the truth!"

This makes Sunday one of the most catastrophic days for the Russian army since it first embarked on the "special military operation in Ukraine," and sits only slightly behind the one-day record of 1,740 losses.

Alongside the 1,300 military personnel Ukraine claims died on Sunday, the Russian forces sacrificed 12 tanks, 15 armored fighting vehicles, 51 artillery systems, and 27 unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Russian losses in Ukraine have been ramping up continuously since the beginning of the conflict, from losing around 4,000 troops in March 2022 to nearly 40,000 in May 2024. According to the ministry's estimates, Russia has lost nearly the same number of troops in the past three days (3,680) as it did in the first full month of fighting (3,900).

If the ministry's estimates are correct, this would bring Russia's total casualties to around 535,660 soldiers, compared to the at least 30,000 Ukraine admits to having lost.

While Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed scepticism over Ukraine's estimates – saying that his country has suffered far fewer losses than its opponent - Russia is not only forfeiting a significant number of bodies to its war efforts.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, which also releases daily estimates of the financial toll of Russia's invasion, believes the country has spent a total of $62.5 billion on fighting in Ukraine since February 2022.

While forced conscription may be able to provide the human capital necessary to continue fighting, Russia is attempting to sustain its war economy under the increasing squeeze of Western sanctions.

At the G7 summit last week, member nations agreed to implement a new series of limitations and export controls, hampering its the country's energy sector and limiting its access to the international finance system, in another attempt to isolate Moscow entirely from the global economy.

Increasing strictures on the Russian economy have coincided with financial support for its adversary ramping up, with G7 members also agreeing to use frozen Russian assets to raise $50 billion in new aid for Ukraine.



SOurce: NewsWeek