UK intel analyses Russian military casualties

During the course of 2023, the average daily number of Russian casualties (killed and wounded) in Ukraine has risen by almost 300 per day compared to 2022.

The relevant statement was made by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom on the social media platform X, referring to the latest Defence Intelligence update, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“The increase in daily averages, as reported by the Ukrainian authorities, almost certainly reflects the degradation of Russia’s forces and its transition to a lower quality, high quantity mass army since the ‘partial mobilisation’ of reservists in September 2022,” the report states.

According to the analysts, it will likely take Russia five to ten years to rebuild a cohort of highly trained and experienced military units.

If casualties continue at the current rate through the next year, by 2025 Russia will have sustained over half a million personnel killed and wounded over three years of war. This is compared to the Soviet Union’s 70,000 casualties in the nine-year Soviet-Afghan War, the UK intelligence concluded.

A reminder that, between February 24, 2022 and December 30, 2023, Russia’s total combat losses in Ukraine reached about 358,270 troops.