Summary and Key Points: As the war in Ukraine approaches its third anniversary, Russian casualties are mounting at a staggering rate. Ukrainian reports estimate Russia lost nearly 10,000 troops in just one week, bringing summer totals to over 70,000.

-These figures, though unverified, highlight the relentless bloodshed, with some losses stemming from U.S.-supplied HIMARS strikes. The HIMARS have become a critical tool for Ukraine’s defense, inflicting heavy damage on Russian forces.

-While Ukraine relies on Western aid, the extended conflict could be part of a broader U.S. strategy to weaken Russia through prolonged attrition, forcing it to expend manpower and resources.

How Many Troops Will Putin Lose in the Ukraine War? 

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches the three-year anniversary, Russian casualties are accumulating at a jaw-dropping rate. Figures supplied from the Ukrainian military (which should be taken with a grain of salt) suggest that in last week alone, the Russians suffered nearly 10,000 casualties. Ten thousand in one week, after nearly three years of sustained casualties.

“Ukrainian figures suggested that Russia lost 1,340 personnel last Thursday, 1,440 on Friday 1,500 on Saturday, 1,330 on Sunday 1,400 on Monday, 1,250 on Tuesday, 1,400 on Wednesday, bringing the total lost over this seven-day period to 9,660,” Newsweek reported.

Ukraine may well have inflated the numbers of Russian killed, but we can safely assume the Russians are indeed losing hundreds and thousands of troops. Russia is also losing equipment at a steady rate. In a 24-hour period last week, Russia lost 10 tanks, 71 artillery systems, 67 unmanned aerial vehicles,  and 149 vehicles, according to Ukraine. But the loss of troops is what shocks the conscious. The ten-thousand-casualty-week comes on the heels of egregious losses through the summer. In July, Russia lost 35,680 troops; in August, Russia lost 36,810 troops.

The casualty reports reinforce the notion that the Russo-Ukraine War is the most viscous fighting held on the European continent since the conclusion of World War II. And the casualty reports reinforce the notion that the Russians have a unique capacity for loss and suffering.   

About 50 or so of the Russian casualties stem from one missile strike, in which Ukraine successfully targeted a Russian military base I the Donetsk region with a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

“Ukrainian forces have used the Washington-supplied HIMARS on several occasions throughout the war, including in its Donetsk and Luhansk regions which are largely occupied by Russian forces,” Newsweek reported. “The Kremlin has been pushing for the total capture of the two regions – which together compromise the Donbas – since Russia’s initial invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014.”

The successful use of the HIMARS system speaks to Ukrainian dependence on US aid to thwart the Russian invasion. The HIMARS is a US-gifted system, which the Ukrainians have used to great effect. A separate HIMARS attack, in the southern Kherson region, resulted in upwards of 60 Russian casualties. Without the HIMARS, and other US aid, it seems unlikely that the Ukrainians would have been able to stay in the fight so effectively, for nearly three years. The casualties being inflicted upon Russia speaks to America’s potential strategic motives for backing Ukraine in a war Ukraine is unlikely to ever win; America is indirectly weakening Russia, who is forced to expend more human capital and fiscal resources, due to America’s bolstering of the Ukrainian military. In allowing Ukraine to resist enough to cause a war of attrition, America is forcing Russia to “bleed” itself dry over months and years of conflict. That’s one theory, at least.

Regardless, Russia’s sustained casualty rate is shocking.

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.