NEWSWEEK
The Russian military lost 1,270 troops, 73 artillery pieces, 121 vehicles, and one fighter jet in the space of 24 hours, according to Ukrainian officials.
The report, posted to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense X (formerly Twitter) page, also claimed that 43 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), two air defense systems, and two pieces of “special equipment” were destroyed over the same period.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said 11 tanks, 17 armored fighting vehicles, and 93 vehicles and fuel tanks were destroyed.
These latest figures, if accurate, would bring Russia’s estimated total losses since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine to 630,200 personnel, 8,653 tanks, 18,009 artillery systems, 369 aircraft, 24,491 vehicles and fuel tanks, and 15,033 UAVs.
Russia does not officially publish its military losses, and military analysts are skeptical of reports released by both sides.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment via email.
Alongside the ministry’s post early Thursday was a quote from American soldier, actor, and songwriter Audie Murphy which read: “I’ll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just determination to do a job that you know has to be done.”
The latest update follows reports that Russian losses of artillery systems and prized equipment hit record highs in July and August, based on Ukrainian figures. In July, Russia lost 1,520 artillery systems and 1,517 in August.
These months also saw some of the highest losses of Russian military personnel so far, with 35,680 in July and 36,810 in August.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s defense intelligence released a video purportedly showing the destruction of a Russia fighter jet worth around $50 million.
The Sukhoi Su-30SM warplane was shot down over the Black Sea using a man-portable air defense system (MANPAD), the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) said.
“The invaders reported to the command about a characteristic slick of aviation fuel found in the sea, 70 kilometers northwest of Cape Tarkhankut, and soon saw the wreckage of the destroyed Su-30SM,” the DIU statement said, according to a translation.
The footage showed the aircraft flying across the sky, with the clip then cutting to an explosion in the sky.
On Wednesday, Moscow announced the launch of a major counteroffensive in the Kursk border region, over a month after Ukraine launched its surprise incursion into Russia.
Major General Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen Akhmat special forces in Kursk, told Russian state news agency Tass that the situation was “good,” and that Russian troops had “gone on the offensive” along the “right flank” in Kursk.
Alaudinov said 10 settlements had been recaptured by Russian forces since Tuesday.
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