Despite slow progress on the war front, Ukraine continues to report heavy losses on the Russian side every day. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost not only a number of fighters but also a lot of equipment. According to unconfirmed information from the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia's tank losses in particular have exceeded an important mark this week, which could give the Ukrainian resistance new courage and impetus in difficult times.
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.
International observers have now confirmed this, as the US magazine Newsweek reports: Russia's tank losses are so significant that the number of tanks lost is now significantly higher than the number of tanks Russia had at the start of its war of aggression. This is according to a report published in February by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). At the time, the London experts spoke of more than 3,000 tanks that had been proven to have been destroyed.
According to Newsweek, the same figure was confirmed in April by Leo Docherty, Minister of State for the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, who stated that, according to British estimates, Russia had lost around 3,000 tanks and over 10,000 armored vehicles. The Dutch open-source platform Oryx also puts the number of tanks verifiably lost on the Russian side at just over 3,000.
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.
The fact that Ukraine regularly destroys Russian tanks is now also proven by increasing drone footage from modern military drones manufactured in Ukraine, which are designed to destroy Russian equipment. However, according to the Newsweek report, the war industry in Russia has also adapted to the requirements. According to military expert Michael Gjerstad from the IISS, Russia has hardly any problems in quickly replacing lost tanks.
Russian armed forces launched a new “massive” attack on energy infrastructure in western and southern Ukraine overnight from Friday to Saturday, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said. “Facilities of Ukrenergo (Ukrainian operator) in the regions of Zaporizhia (south) and Lviv (west) were damaged,” added the ministry, specifying that two employees were injured and hospitalized in Zaporizhia.
This is the eighth 'massive' attack on Ukrainian power plants in the last three months, which has forced the imposition of frequent power cuts as the power grid struggles to withstand targeted strikes by the Russians. Ukrainian authorities indicated Thursday that energy infrastructure, including a power station, had been damaged by a major nighttime Russian attack which left seven of their employees injured.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, called Thursday for installing solar panels and energy storage units 'in every school and in every hospital, as soon as possible.' The general director of the operator DTEK, Maxime Timchenko, had warned that Ukraine risked being 'faced with a serious crisis this winter' if its Western partners did not mobilize. Kyiv is urging the latter to help it rebuild its electricity network, a project which requires significant investments, and to provide it with more air defense equipment to counter Russian bombings.
In this context, Washington has 'made the difficult but necessary decision' to now give priority to Ukraine over other allies in the supply of missiles used for anti-aircraft defense.
- The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has seen significant losses on both sides, particularly in terms of military equipment. The Ukrainian General Staff has reported substantial Russian tank losses, which have been corroborated by various international observers and institutions.
- Russia's military struggles with organizational and tactical issues, compounded by low morale and inadequate training, have contributed to these losses. Ukraine's use of modern military drones has further impacted Russian equipment.
- In addition to the military conflict, Russia has targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing widespread damage and power outages. Ukraine's President Zelensky has called for urgent international support to rebuild the country's power grid and enhance its air defense capabilities.
- The United States has committed to prioritizing Ukraine in the supply of anti-aircraft missiles, a move that underscores the international community's support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict.
