Russia‘s losses in the war in Ukraine have hit a four-month high, reaching 1,390 casualties on September 3—the highest since May and one of the highest single-day losses of the war, according to Kyiv.
The figures, shared on the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine’s official X page, also showed that Russia lost 7 tanks, 27 armored fighting vehicles, 30 artillery systems, 43 UAVs and 35 vehicles and fuel tanks.
Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the Kremlin for comment via email.
If accurate, these latest reports would bring Russia’s losses since 2022 to 620,350 troops, 17,694 artillery systems and 8,618 tanks.
“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”
Bertrand RussellThe combat losses of the enemy from February 24, 2022 to September 4, 2024. pic.twitter.com/FdVVK9glFs
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 4, 2024
Russia doesn’t publish its military losses and military analysts are skeptical of reports released by both Ukraine and Russia.
Accompanying the ministry’s post was a quote from Bertrand Russell, the British mathematician, logician and philosopher, which read: “To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”
Recent data sourced from the Armed Forced of Ukraine showed that Russian artillery and special equipment losses have hit record highs, with reports indicating that Russia lost 1,520 artillery systems in July, and a further 1,517 in August.
Previously, Ukrainian officials had reported that June had been Russia’s worst month for artillery losses, with 1,415 Russian artillery systems destroyed. This has now been surpassed by the July and August data.
The news of these most recent figures comes as analysts have suggested that Ukraine’s Kursk incursion may be slowing Russia’s advances.
A soldier stands guard outside a grocery store on August 16, 2024, in Sudzha, Russia. Russian losses have hit a four-month high, according to Ukraine.
Kostiantyn Liberov/Getty Images
A weekend report by the Institute for the Study of War said that “operational pressures from the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk oblast are impacting Russian operations in every sector throughout the theater.”
“The Russian military command may have redeployed limited elements intended to reinforce Russia’s priority offensive in the Pokrovsk direction to defend against the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast,” the ISW said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing increased criticism over Moscow’s response to the Kursk incursion.
Nationalist politician Yevgeny Fedorov, the coordinator of Russia’s National Liberation movement, which champions the territorial integrity of the state, criticized the official narrative from Moscow, which has downplayed Ukraine’s incursion.
The Kursk incursion began on August 6 and is continuing into Russia’s border regions.
Moscow has now condemned support from the West of Ukraine’s ongoing incursion, after it was endorsed by NATO‘s top brass.
Maria Zakharova, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry press department, said on Wednesday: “We would like to warn such irresponsible politicians in the EU, NATO and overseas that in the event of corresponding aggressive steps by the Kiev regime, Russia’s response will follow immediately…and will be extremely painful.”
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