Russia’s army is increasingly struggling on the Ukrainian frontlines as troops are getting visibly exhausted. Last month, Ukraine liberated more land than Russia seized, causing Moscow to suffer a so-called net loss of territory. This is the first time since Ukraine’s August 2024 incursion into the southern Russian Kursk region, according to a US-based conflict monitor Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
This goes against Vladimir Putin’s claims that Russia will inevitably defeat Ukraine as its troops are seizing more of Ukraine’s terrotory. While Russia still controls almost 20% of Ukraine’s land, this narrative has always been flawed, given how slow and incredibly costly the Russian advances have been since the initial full-scale invasion of 2022, CNN reports.
A January 2026 report said Ukraine has likely suffered between 500,000 and 600,000 casualties from February 2022 to December 2025. It is widely bvelieved Russians have lost many more soldiers compared to Ukraine. Western officials have said that Russian casualty rates stand at around 30,000 to 35,000 a month. Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov claimed that Kyiv saw “record-breaking” success on the front line.
He said: “We have eliminated 35,000 Russians in both April and March… Russia lacks the forces to continue offensive operations. The Ukrainian army is exhausting the Russians.”
However, as Russian officials do not disclose the actual number of casualties, it can be difficult to track. Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has so far confirmed the identities of 217,808 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine. But according to Ukrainian government sources, the total number of personnel losses is much higher – up to 1,351,150 as of May 19.
What is known for certain, however, is that in the more than four years since Putin waged his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
The ongoing military conflict was also reflected in Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade on May 9, which commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. Traditionally featuring a large display of Russian military equipment, this year’s event repladced much of the hardware showcase with a polished propaganda video.
The reason for the absence was evident – Russia needs to use its equipment for actual fighting, as its resources are increasingly scarce.
