Russian forces lost 2,200 infantrymen on December 20, the number of casualties recorded in a single day since Moscow began its full-scale war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Newsweek contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email for comment.
“In life, as in chess, foresight wins. “Charles Buxton The enemy’s combat losses from February 24, 2022 to December 20, 2024. pic. twitter. com/cq4ypJ1Wwy
Moscow has long been thought to be struggling with dwindling manpower, especially with its use of what has become known as “meat-grinder” assaults on Ukrainian defensive positions in the east, which generally have high casualty counts.
The last two days on which Russia suffered the number of casualties were in the last six weeks, on November 11 and 29, when 2,030 infantrymen died.
The Defense of Ukraine posted the new deadliest toll on Friday, saying: “We make the occupiers pay the highest price for their terror.”
It is difficult to independently determine battlefield casualties, and neither Russia nor Ukraine provide normal updates on the number of fighters in their own ranks who have been killed or wounded.
In total, 772,620 Russian personnel have been killed since February 24, 2022, according to Ukrainian authorities.
On December 20, russian personnel losses reached 2,200 soldiers.It’s the highest daily number since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.The previous record — 2,030 soldiers — was set on November 29, 2024. We make the occupiers pay the highest price for their terror. pic.twitter.com/3WxdnZjf30
The Defense of Ukraine quoted Charles Buxton, a brewer, philanthropist and English MP, who said: “In life, as in chess, foresight wins. “
William Freer, a national security researcher at the UK-based think tank Council on Geostrategy, previously told Newsweek: “Russia and Ukraine face serious personnel problems.
“After ammunition supply, casualty replacement is the second most important aspect for either side of winning a war of attrition. “
Ukraine has endured more than 1,000 days of fighting with Russia, which has moved westward, causing severe damage to the country’s power grid and testing its military capabilities.
Donald Trump’s election as president has raised questions about Ukraine’s fate after close to three years of war against Russia.
On Thursday, European Union leaders said no decisions regarding Ukraine’s future can be made without its direct involvement. The declaration came during a summit in Brussels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasizing solidarity with the war-torn nation.
Rumors of peace talks slated for early 2025 have stirred speculation about the potential deployment of European peacekeepers. However, EU leaders are cautious not to disclose their strategies publicly, emphasizing the need to empower Ukraine for negotiations.
Russia has tried to deal with worker losses by bringing in troops from North Korea, and Pyongyang has deployed more than 12,000 troops to the front lines in Kursk.
A new report from South Korea’s intelligence firm released Thursday says at least 100 North Korean infantrymen were killed after being sent to Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine, and about 1,000 more were wounded.
This comes after one expert told Newsweek that Pyongyang’s troops were “now cannon fodder for Putin. “
Jordan King is a Newsweek journalist based in London, United Kingdom. It focuses on human interest stories in Africa and the Middle East. She has extensively covered the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, police brutality and poverty in South Africa, and gender-based violence around the world. Jordan joined Newsweek in 2024 after leaving The Evening Standard and previously worked at Metro. co. uk. He graduated from Kingston University and also worked in documentaries. You can contact Jordan by emailing j. king@newsweek. com. Languages: English.