Ukraine taking huge losses in Kursk – Moscow
Ukraine has reportedly lost several hundred servicemen in Russia’s Kursk Region over the past 24 hours alone, as well as a US-supplied Abrams tank, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Monday.
According to an update published on the ministry’s official Telegram channel, Russian forces have continued to inflict heavy casualties on Kiev’s troops taking part in the incursion into Kursk Region. Ukraine launched the cross-border assault back in August with the stated goals of alleviating Russian pressure in other parts of the front line and securing a bargaining chip for use in future peace talks.
During offensive operations over the weekend, Russian units reportedly defeated five mechanized and three airborne assault brigades, a marine brigade, and four territorial defense brigades across various locations in the region, the ministry said.
It further assessed that in total, Kiev’s forces lost more than 300 men, two tanks, including the US-made Abrams, and three infantry fighting vehicles – namely an American-supplied Bradley, a German-supplied Marder, and a Swedish CV-90. Ukraine also reportedly lost three armored personnel carriers – a Stryker and two US-made M113s – as well as three combat armored vehicles, an artillery piece, four mortars, an American M88 armored repair and recovery vehicle, and eight cars, according to the report.
In total, Moscow has estimated that throughout the military operations in Kursk, Ukraine has lost more than 43,310 servicemen, 253 tanks, 194 infantry fighting vehicles, 135 armored personnel carriers, 1,315 armored combat vehicles, and 1,174 vehicles. Additionally, Russian forces are said to have destroyed some 324 artillery pieces, 42 multiple launch rocket system launchers, including 11 HIMARS and six MLRS supplied by the US, 13 anti-aircraft missile launchers, and seven transport and loading vehicles, among other equipment.
Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian General Staff, told foreign diplomats last week that Ukrainian forces, according to Moscow’s estimates, have suffered almost 1 million casualties since February 2022 and have lost nearly 20,000 tanks and armored vehicles.
He noted that despite the West having significantly increased the volume of military aid to Ukraine in an attempt to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Moscow, Russian forces have nevertheless maintained the offensive and have pushed Ukraine’s troops out of more than 190 settlements this year.
