Vladimir Putin’s forces have reportedly lost more than a thousand troops, dozens of artillery systems and more than a hundred vehicles in one of the deadliest days yet since Russia invaded Ukraine.
As fighting continues on both sides of the Ukrainian frontlines, the rising death toll in Russia’s ranks raises the question of how much longer Putin can sustain the costly operation.
On Friday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released its latest toll of “enemy combat losses.”
According to its estimates, the Russian Army lost 118 military vehicles between September 19 and September 20, comprising 20 tanks, 39 armored fighting vehicles and 59 fuel carriers, taking the total vehicles losses in the war so far to over 50,000.
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Novgorod region governor Andrei Nikitin during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. According to the latest Ukrainian Army estimates, Russia has lost 639,480 troops since the invasion began in February 2022.
Alexander Kazakov/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
Some 35 artillery systems were also taken out by Kyiv during this period, pushing the number further past the 18,000 mark, as well as 52 unmanned aerial vehicles, taking the war’s Russian drone tally to 15,469.
According to Kyiv, Russia also lost 1,340 personnel between Thursday and Friday.
While still below the record 1,740 troops lost by Russia on May 12, during a period of intense fighting in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the latest count is the highest since September 9 (1,380 troops), and places among the deadliest days for Moscow’s forces since the invasion began in February 2022.
According to Kyiv’s estimates, this brings the total number of troops Russia has lost by Russia to 639,480.
If true, this figure would dwarf the estimate of 70,112 provided on Friday by the BBC, which collated the data on Russian casualties with the help of independent Russian media outlet Mediazona.
The BBC cautioned that the actual number is likely to be “considerably higher,” given that it can only confirm deaths through obituaries published in the Russian media and online, which are then verified with authorities or relatives of the deceased.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Kherson on November 14, 2022. The Ukrainian Ministry of Finance estimates that Russia has lost over $70 billion worth of military equipment since February 2022.
Presidential Office of Ukraine/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Beyond the human cost to the military and morale in the country, Russia’s economy is also feeling the pinch of the capital-intensive invasion.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, using data from the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defense and Forbes Ukraine, Russia has lost an estimated $70.7 billion in equipment since the conflict began, equating to a daily average of just over $75 million.
In terms of total cost of the invasion, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters in February that the Russia has “probably spent $211 billion” on the war up till that point, alongside $1.3 trillion in “previously anticipated economic growth through 2026.”
This cost is compounded by the sanctions that have been levied against Putin’s regime since the invasion commenced, including export restrictions, the freezing of Russian assets held in foreign banks and prohibitions on other nations importing Russian oil and natural gas.
While Russia has made efforts to bypass these embargos, the Russian economy is in dire straits which, combined with the mounting casualty figures, raise the question of how much longer Russia’s Special Military Operation can be sustained.
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