Massive equipment and personnel attrition
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Nov. 6 that Russia has lost 1,601,830 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. This total includes 2,440 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day alone. I find the specific hardware losses documented by the General Staff to be extreme.
| Equipment Category | Russian Losses |
|---|---|
| Tanks | 12,456 |
| Armored combat vehicles | 25,651 |
| Vehicles and fuel tanks | 170,929 |
| Artillery systems | 51,956 |
| Multiple-launch rocket systems | 2,254 |
| Air defense systems | 1,744 |
| Aircraft | 452 |
| Helicopters | 356 |
| Unmanned ground vehicles | 3,085 |
| Ships and boats | 35 |
| Submarines | 2 |
On Oct. 29, the General Staff reported that October 2026 was the deadliest month for Russian combat losses since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. These losses include 12,456 tanks, 25,651 armored combat vehicles, and 170,929 vehicles and fuel tanks. The Russian military also lost 51,956 artillery systems, 2,254 multiple-launch rocket systems, 1,744 air defense systems, 452 aircraft, 356 helicopters, 3,085 unmanned ground vehicles, 35 ships and boats, and two submarines during the conflict.
Comparing casualty ratios
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reports that Russian casualties significantly surpass Ukraine’s losses, with an estimated ratio of "roughly 2.5:1 or 2:1." A January 2026 CSIS report said Ukraine likely suffered between 500,000 and 600,000 casualties from February 2022 to December 2025, with 100,000 to 140,000 of those dying in action. President Volodymyr Zelensky told France TV on Feb. 4 that at least 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action since the beginning of the full-scale war, in addition to significant numbers who are missing in action. I find the General Staff’s refusal to reveal its own losses due to operational secrecy to be a frustratingly vague detail. The intensity of Russian drone attacks and the fighting makes it extremely difficult for Ukraine to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers for DNA confirmation. Because Ukrainian officials rarely disclose the figure, the January 2026 CSIS report remains a primary source for understanding the scale of Ukrainian casualties.
