Russian forces set back 18 years in the Ukrainian conflict. Over 300,000 casualties
An inside source familiar with the US intelligence report tells Reuters that the Ukrainian army maintains their personnel losses, as well as the significant destruction of armored vehicles, have set back the modernization of the Russian armed forces by 18 years.
8:22 AM EST, December 13, 2023
The agency previously reported that Russian forces lost 80 percent of military personnel, but this information was later corrected.
The British Ministry of Defence reported in early December that from the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, until November of that year, the total casualties on the Russian side were likely around 70,000 killed and 220-280,000 wounded.
On Monday, the commander of the Ukrainian land forces, General Oleksandr Syrsky, stated that the Russian army's losses, in terms of killed soldiers on the eastern section of the war front, are roughly eight times higher than Ukraine's losses.
The British issue a warning: Russians are struggling with this
On Tuesday, the British Ministry of Defence stated that Russian forces are likely still struggling to fight in night-time conditions, as evidenced by numerous soldier reports since the war's inception.
In a daily intelligence update, it was noted that by the end of November 2023, a social media user claiming to be a Russian soldier serving in Kherson, highlighted the shortage of night vision goggles and low-light cameras for unmanned drones.
The update went on to mention that night vision goggles frequently feature at the top of the equipment lists Russian units ask their families and supporters for. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are often equipped with night vision devices provided by international partners.
"It is probable that there's also a cultural element to Russia's problem: Russian military training has traditionally focused on daytime exercises to impress visiting senior officers. In contrast, according to a Russian soldier, Ukrainian forces primarily operate at night," the update reads.
