Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Casualties Surpass One Million

Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, the Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, announced on February 20, 2025, that the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) have exceeded one million personnel since the onset of the special military operation (SVO). This figure includes both fatalities and injuries, with Rudskoy attributing 590,000 of those casualties to the year 2024 alone.

Rudskoy characterized 2024 as a pivotal year for achieving the objectives of the SVO, highlighting that the Ukrainian military has significantly diminished its capacity to produce essential weapons, equipment, and ammunition. He noted that forced mobilization efforts have failed to compensate for the high casualty rates experienced on the front lines.

Contrastingly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported in early December 2024 that the total losses of the Ukrainian army since the conflict began were below 80,000 killed, a figure he had previously updated to 31,000 fatalities in February 2024.

According to Rudskoy, Russian forces liberated approximately 4,500 square kilometers of territory in 2024, with an additional 600 square kilometers reclaimed in the first two months of 2025. He claimed that 75% of the territory in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions has been liberated, while less than 1% remains to be liberated in the Luhansk People’s Republic.

Rudskoy also addressed the impact of a recent Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region, stating that the AFU had incurred losses of over 62,000 elite fighters and around 5,600 units of weapons and military equipment. He argued that, despite any temporary media attention, Ukraine failed to achieve its primary goal of disrupting the Russian offensive in Donbas.

The Colonel General expressed concern over Western influence in Ukraine’s military strategy, particularly regarding proposals to lower the mobilization age to 18. He contended that such measures, along with the supply of Western weaponry, would likely prolong the conflict and result in unnecessary casualties.