Heavy Losses for Russia in Ukraine Conflict
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to see significant developments, with Ukraine reporting substantial Russian losses. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia has lost over 8,000 tanks since the beginning of the invasion. This figure, although unverified, has been partially confirmed by international observers. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the UK Armed Forces Minister have both estimated that Russia has lost around 3,000 tanks and over 10,000 armored vehicles.
Drone Attacks and Energy Infrastructure Damage
In recent days, Ukraine has launched multiple drone attacks targeting various regions in Russia, resulting in the destruction of oil depots and the death of one civilian in Slavyansk-sur-Kuban. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting and destroying 15 drones across several regions. Concurrently, a massive Russian attack damaged a Ukrainian power plant, causing serious damage and injuring three employees. This marks the seventh large-scale attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the past three months.
- The Ukrainian military leadership reported on Friday that 14 more Russian tanks had been destroyed in the last 24 hours, bringing the total tank losses on the Russian side to 8,001 combat vehicles according to Ukrainian figures. This would be a considerable number for the significantly inferior armed forces of the smaller country, which is defending itself against Russia's invasion. However, the information provided by both warring parties in the Ukraine war should be viewed with caution, as the figures cannot be independently verified.
- According to Newsweek, the reasons why Russia is losing so much equipment in the Ukraine war include not only the determination of Ukrainian troops and the delivery of modern weapons from the West, but also tactical problems on the Russian side. Russia's military has repeatedly had problems with organization and planning, as well as with the poor morale and insufficient training of its personnel.
- Several regions of Russia were targeted overnight by Ukrainian drone attacks which particularly targeted oil depots, leaving one dead, authorities said on Thursday. The drones notably struck the town of Slavyansk-sur-Kuban, in the Krasnodar region (south), where a woman was killed, according to regional governor Veniamin Kondratiev.
- A Ukrainian power plant was damaged during a massive Russian attack overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, the latest targeting Ukrainian energy facilities, its private operator DTEK announced. 'Another difficult night for the Ukrainian energy industry. The Russians attacked one of DTEK's thermal power plants,' the company said in a statement on Thursday, reporting 'serious damage' and three employees injured.
