London (Agencies): The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has released an intelligence update detailing a significant increase in Russian casualties during 2024, with December proving to be the most costly month of the war to date.
According to the update, “Russian forces sustained 429,660 casualties (killed and wounded) in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2024, a notable increase on the 252,940 casualties sustained in 2023, according to Ukrainian General Staff reporting.”
This brings the estimated total of Russian casualties since the start of the conflict to over 790,000. December 2024 was highlighted as the deadliest month of the war for Russian forces, with “a total of 48,670 casualties reported by the Ukrainian General Staff.” This marks an increase from the 45,680 casualties recorded in November 2024 and represents the sixth consecutive month of rising monthly losses for Russia.
The report noted that December also saw record-high daily loss rates for Russian forces. The MOD stated, “The average daily Russian casualties reached a new monthly war high during December 2024. The average daily loss rate was 1,570, the fifth straight month that Russian Forces have sustained new war high average daily losses.”
The single deadliest day for Russian forces occurred on 19 December 2024, with “a new war high of 2,200 losses in a single day.”
Looking ahead, the MOD warned that “Russia will highly likely continue to experience high casualty rates over January 2025 with continued dismounted infantry attacks on multiple axes.”
The intelligence update paints a grim picture for Russian forces, with the sharp rise in casualties underscoring the intensifying cost of the war. The continuation of high casualty rates is expected as Russian forces persist with resource-intensive infantry tactics across multiple fronts.