Nearly 1,300 Russian troopers misplaced day by day in Ukraine for minimal floor good points, officers say

More than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, U.S. and British defense officials said this week.

Military analysts said Moscow lost an average of 1,271 soldiers per day last month, just about the same as 1,262 this past May. The high casualty rate is “almost certainly” due to increased intensity along the front lines in occupied Ukraine and the extension of the combat zone that includes Kharkiv and Kursk, British military officials said this week on X in their latest assessment of the battlefield.

On Wednesday, a senior U.S. official said the Russian strategy of sending waves of troops against Ukrainian defenses is causing substantial combat casualties for relatively minor gains.

Despite the onset of winter, Russia’s casualty rate will likely continue to average above 1,000 per day the rest of the year, British officials said.

Despite the high casualties, Russian defense spending is expected to rise by 25% in 2025. It will account for 32% of the country’s budget compared with a prewar share of 14.5% in 2021, the U.K. officials said, citing the Russian budget submitted last month to parliament.

“The new budget demonstrates Russia’s continued prioritization of financing the war over domestic priorities. For example, social spending is expected to decrease by 16% in 2025,” the British officials said.