Russia has suffered the deadliest day of the war in Ukraine so far, with 1,770 soldiers killed or wounded in just 24 hours, according to figures released by Kiev.
Vladimir Putin’s forces have lost 710,660 troops since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said today.
Despite heavy losses, Moscow is pressing ahead with its ‘flesh attacks’ and continuing to make progress at the fastest pace since 2022, with the chief of Ukraine’s armed forces admitting this month that the country is currently facing ‘one of the most powerful’ Russian offensives since war broke out.
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region has stalled, with Moscow reportedly amassing a force of 50,000 soldiers in its bid to reclaim territory taken from the country three months ago.
Kiev said last week that its forces had clashed with some of the estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers sent to the region to support Moscow, with some experts saying their deployment could be partly to blame for heavy Russian losses.
A selection of video footage shows North Korean troops in Russia equipped with military equipment, preparing to be sent to fight Ukraine
In a video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Monday, November 4, 2024, Russian soldiers record video congratulations at a secret location in Ukraine
A Russian soldier fires from a howitzer towards the Ukrainian position in the Russian-Ukrainian border area in the Kursk region
Volodymyr Zelensky said at the time of the invasion of Kursk in August that the conquest of Russian territory could serve as a bargaining chip with Moscow.
But the manpower shortage has caused Ukrainian forces to lose some of the ground they captured in the August invasion and has continued to lose large parts of their own territory.
Russia’s record number of daily losses, which surpasses the previous peak of 1,730 in a single day in May, is largely in line with estimates from Western countries.
The number of Russian soldiers killed and wounded averaged 1,500 “every day”, British Chief of Defense Staff Tony Radakin told the BBC on Sunday.
Russia is making enormous sacrifices to “secure small pieces of land,” Radakin said, but added that it continues to make “tactical, territorial gains” and “put pressure on Ukraine.”
This past weekend saw the largest drone attacks by Russia and Ukraine since the start of the war, with the barrage hitting large parts of each country and downing hundreds of drones, including in the Moscow region.
The strikes have intensified amid expectations that newly-elected US President Donald Trump will put pressure on both sides to end the conflict.
A rescue worker works early Monday morning at the scene of a Russian night attack in Mykolaiv, Ukraine
Rescue workers try to extinguish a fire in a house after a drone strike in the village of Stanovoye, Moscow region, on November 10
During his campaign, he repeatedly said he could end the war “in one day,” without saying how.
Last night it was reported that Trump had spoken to Putin in recent days and advised him not to escalate the war.
Putin has since denied the reports, adding that he has no concrete plans yet to call him.
Trump and his supporters have roundly criticized the extent of US military and financial support to Kiev, previously calling Zelensky “the biggest salesman on earth.”
The U.S. has provided roughly $106 billion in aid directly to the government in Kiev, an amount that includes military and financial assistance as well as humanitarian assistance, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
After having an “excellent” phone call with Trump late on Wednesday, Zelensky said the next day that he was convinced that a quick end to the war would mean Kiev accepting major concessions.