Russia’s slow advance comes at soaring cost as Ukraine intensifies drone strikes
Ukrainian artillerymen prepare to open fire on the enemy. (Photo: REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
Ukraine’s Defense Forces have sharply increased the monthly
number of Russian troops killed or seriously wounded, Defense Minister Mykhailo
Fedorov told journalists at a briefing.
Stopping Russia’s advance and seizing the initiative at the
front is now one of Ukraine’s strategic goals, Fedorov said.
“Our strategic goal is to inflict at least 200 casualties on
the enemy for every square kilometer of advance,” the minister said.
He said the figures show Ukraine has managed to
significantly slow Russia’s advance and is gradually taking the initiative.
“Today, we are inflicting catastrophic losses on the enemy.
In April, 35,203 Russian troops were killed or seriously wounded — those who
will no longer return to the front. In March, the figure was 35,351; in
December, 34,544,” Fedorov said. “All these figures have been verified through
the eBaly system and confirmed by combat units.”
Fedorov said every square kilometer of advance now costs
Russian forces disproportionately heavy losses. In October, the Russian army
lost 67 troops per 1 square kilometer of advance; in January, 165; in February,
244; in March, 254; and in April, 179.
“In addition to Ukrainian military operations and other
factors, the shutdown of Starlink for the Russians in February 2026 played an
important role here,” Fedorov said. “The Russians have still been unable to
find a full replacement for it, and this gives us a critical advantage on the
battlefield.”
He said another important factor was the development of
so-called middle strike capabilities — medium-range drone strikes within
several dozen kilometers of the line of contact.
“We began actively purchasing middle strike drones, and
today this is one of our main technological advantages at the front,” Fedorov
said. “We deliberately made a push into this area, and that is why we are
seeing results. The dashboards already show a clear pattern: The more Russian
forces are hit at operational depth, the fewer assault operations take place at
the front.”
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