Faith Nyasuguta
In February, Russian forces in Ukraine experienced an alarming surge in casualties, averaging 983 per day, marking the highest toll since the conflict’s inception, as reported by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a recent intelligence update.
The escalation in casualties, encompassing both killed and wounded soldiers, is attributed to Russia’s adoption of mass and attritional warfare tactics. Notably, the embattled Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, situated just north of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, fell to Russian forces in February after persistent efforts.
Analysts have observed that Russia’s strategies in capturing Avdiivka often involved “human wave” assaults, aiming to overpower Ukrainian positions with large numbers of foot soldiers. Ukrainian commanders described a relentless cycle of Russian assaults, indicating that despite inflicting casualties, the continuous waves of soldiers persisted.
While these tactics proved costly in terms of human life, the MoD acknowledged that they intensified pressure on Ukrainian positions along the front lines. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously suggested that Russian commanders display a disregard for the lives of their soldiers, emphasizing a seemingly callous approach.
The MoD estimates that Russia has likely incurred 355,000 personnel casualties, encompassing both deaths and injuries, during the course of the conflict. Ukraine, grappling with manpower shortages, faces a challenging situation, while
Russia has implemented various strategies to replenish its forces. Notably, Russia raised the age of conscription for one year of military service to 30 as part of these efforts. The update sheds light on the human cost of the conflict and the evolving strategies employed by both sides in this protracted and devastating war.
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