Losses in the Ukraine War: Heavy Losses for Russia – Does the Military Make Fatal Mistakes?

Created: 05/21/2022, 07:34

By: Tobias Utz, Vincent Büssow, Nail Akkoyun

The army from Russia suffers heavy losses in the Ukraine war.

Vladimir Putin's war goals are obviously not being achieved.

• Russia is faltering in the Ukraine war:

  Although Vladimir Putin has scaled back the targets in the Ukraine war, his army is making little progress worth mentioning.

• Russian soldier confesses to war crimes:

  In the first trial of its kind, a Russian soldier pleads guilty to shooting dead a civilian in Ukraine.

• Russia's losses in the Ukraine war: 

  All information from the Ukraine conflict in our news ticker.

Update from Saturday, May 21, 7:32 a.m .:

The Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed three Russian tanks and Grad rocket launchers in southern Ukraine.

In addition, Ukraine reports further losses for Russia: in the last 24 hours at least 36 Russian soldiers are said to have died in combat.

+++ 8.45 a.m .:

The British Ministry of Defense expects “further wear and tear” in the Russian army.

Because of the enormous Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, numerous soldiers currently have to be re-equipped, according to the morning situation report: "This can be a lengthy process if it is carried out thoroughly."

A Russian soldier in Mariupol © Vladimir Gerdo/Imago Images

Russia's commanders are therefore "under pressure" to present reports of military success to the Kremlin.

However, the ministry suggests that Russia may redeploy its armed forces without proper equipment and preparation.

According to the experts, this would lead to even more "wear and tear".

The information, which is based on a report by the British secret service, cannot be independently verified.

Update from Friday, May 20, 7:55 a.m .:

The troops from Russia continue to have difficulties making significant progress in the Ukraine war, although they are now focusing on a smaller region.

This is reported by Pentagon correspondent Jack Detsch on Twitter, citing employees of the US Department of Defense.

After the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from the region around Kyiv in April, the units were weakened, it is said.

Losses in the Ukraine War: Battles in the Velyka Komyshuvakha area

+++ 11.30 a.m .:

In its daily situation report, the Ukrainian general staff commented on Russia’s losses in the Ukraine war.

Accordingly, the Russian army "suffered significant losses in some areas and was forced to withdraw to previously occupied positions." This is reported by the US broadcaster CNN, citing the report.

Specifically, it is about battles in the Velyka Komyshuvakha area, north of Kramatorsk.

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Update from Thursday, May 19, 8:30 a.m.:

The army of Ukraine has reported several successes over the night in the fight against Russia.

The Task Force "South" of Ukraine stated on Facebook that it had destroyed a plane and a missile as well as 20 armored vehicles.

In addition, the Ukrainian army repelled attacks in Donetsk and Luhansk, destroying 35 other military vehicles.

War in Ukraine: Russian soldier pleads guilty to war crimes

+++ 7:00 p.m .:

A Russian soldier has to answer to a Kiev district court for murder and “violation of the laws and customs of war” under Article 438 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.

On Wednesday (May 18, 2022), the 21-year-old soldier pleaded "full" guilty and faces a life sentence.

According to the report, the accused and four other soldiers were traveling in a stolen vehicle when they saw an unarmed civilian who they believed wanted to inform the Ukrainian armed forces about them via mobile phone.

"Under the impression (...), one of the soldiers ordered the accused to kill the civilian," said the prosecutor.

The accused fired several well-aimed shots from the rear window of his car with a Kalashnikov rifle, which hit the victim in the head.

"The victim died of fractured skulls after the five soldiers left the scene," the prosecutor said.

After several days of hide-and-seek, the group finally surrendered to local residents, the prosecutor added.

The hearing was adjourned to Thursday because of the excessive media interest.

Russia admits "mistakes" and heavy casualties in Ukraine war: "Now everything is going according to plan"

+++ 5:00 p.m .:

Surprisingly, Russia again admitted heavy losses and mistakes in the Ukraine war.

Most recently, Vladimir Putin did so in his speech on May 9, the "Day of Victory" over Nazi Germany.

On Wednesday (May 18), Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council Rashid Nurgaliyev said: "Despite all the difficulties, the military special operation will continue to the end." The "special operation" in Ukraine will continue, despite European arms deliveries.

All “tasks – including demilitarization and denazification and the protection of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics – will be fully implemented,” the former Russian interior minister said.

Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Russian republic of Chechnya and new controller of the city of Mariupol, also emphasized that there were "mistakes" at the start of the invasion at the end of February.

"In the beginning there were mistakes, there were some shortcomings, but now everything is 100% according to plan," Kadyrov said at a political forum on Wednesday.

+++ 12.30 p.m .:

Russia has to accept the loss of other high-ranking military personnel in the Ukraine war.

At least that's what the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claims.

Accordingly, several officers of the Russian army fell in the area around Melitopol.

They were victims of guerrilla attacks.

The Kremlin is trying to "conceal the situation there," according to a Ukraine situation report.

+++ 10.00 a.m .:

The Russian army apparently has considerable difficulties in compensating for the heavy losses in the Ukraine war.

The UK Ministry of Defense morning situation report said the military was lacking in troop levels and supplies: "The combat deployment of such diverse personnel demonstrates Russia's significant resource problems in Ukraine and is likely contributing to a fragmented command that continues to hamper Russian operations." The report is based on an assessment by British intelligence.

However, the information cannot be independently verified.

Ukrainian artillery inflicts heavy casualties on Russia

+++ 9.30 a.m .:

Ukraine’s artillery apparently inflicts heavy losses on the Russian army.

This is reported by the US news channel CNN.

A video shows a Russian military pontoon bridge coming under heavy fire.

Up to 70 military vehicles are said to have been destroyed in the Bilohorivka area north of Donetsk.

+++ 8.45 a.m .:

Josep Borrell, EU foreign policy chief, spoke of “impressive losses” by the Russian army in the Ukraine war.

"If it's true that Russia has lost 15 percent of its troops since the war began, that's a world record for casualties for an army invading a country," Borrell said after a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels.

Russia suffers losses - Ukraine reports shooting down of drones and fighter jets

Update from Wednesday, May 18, 6:15 a.m .:

Ukraine’s air defense reports successful kills in the war with Russia.

According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, at least 11 unmanned drones were shot down within 24 hours.

Its own armed forces also managed to destroy a Russian SU-25 fighter jet.

This is reported by several news portals, referring to an announcement by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

However, the information about Russia's losses in the Ukraine war cannot be independently verified.

Russia itself provides little or no information on this.

Ukraine war: Russia runs out of missiles

Update from Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 p.m .:

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, precision-guided missiles have been among the preferred weapons of the Russian armed forces.

However, the Russian tactics of the first months of the war meant that, according to Western analysts, the Russian stocks of precision weapons are now severely depleted.

"There are no more long-range cruise missile salvos and almost no Iskander strikes," independent military analyst Pavel Luzhin told The Moscow Times.

A US official told journalists in a briefing earlier this month that Russia has "stockpile problems with precision-guided ammunition."

These reports are corroborated by a shift in Russian tactics, particularly the increased use of conventional unguided bombs, most notably in the port city of Mariupol.

This also means that Russian fighter jets have to fly very low to hit targets, which in turn makes them vulnerable to portable air defenses.

Ukraine war: setback at Luhansk - Russian losses "are high"

First report from Tuesday, May 17, 5 p.m.:

Moscow – Almost three months after the Russian attack on Ukraine, the Ukraine war has not yet been decided.

Attempts by the Kremlin to capture the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv failed.

In general, the Russian army is struggling with problems in many places and is making difficult progress.

The army leadership under Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin is currently focused on the east and south of the country.

While reports of the falling morale of the Russian troops are mounting, one of Putin's generals is now even said to have wounded Russian soldiers executed.

In addition, according to information from the Ukrainian secret services, more and more Russian soldiers are deserting.

Ukraine war: Russia's losses are increasing - also in the east of the country

According to the Ukrainian military, they have thrown back Russian troops in front of the city of Sievjerodonetsk in the east of the country.

"Near the village of Syrotyne, the Russian conquerors suffered losses and retreated," the General Staff said in its situation report on Tuesday (May 17).

Syrotyne is four kilometers south of Sievjerodonetsk.

The Russian troops were also unsuccessful in several other directions.

The governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hajdaj, also reported heavy fighting in the area around the city.

In the suburbs of Girske and Zolotoye, several houses were destroyed by artillery shells.

But the Russian troops would have had to withdraw there too.

"Enemy casualties are high," Hajdaj wrote on his Telegram channel.

The information could not be checked independently.

According to Ukrainian information, the number of Russian soldiers killed is now around 27,900.

1,235 tanks, 167 attack helicopters and 201 fighter jets were also destroyed.

In addition, there are currently around 1,000 Russian soldiers in Ukrainian captivity.

(nak/tu/vbu with AFP/dpa)