Ukrainian forces have reportedly lost more than 10,000 Russian military vehicles since the start of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the open-source intelligence tracker Oryx.
Verified losses include 1,900 tanks, over 3,500 armoured vehicles, more than 2,400 logistics and supplies vehicles, dozens of high-tech radars and command vehicles, and 78 valuable combat jets.
The losses also include most of Russia’s modern cruise missiles.
The Russian military’s losses are a blow to their campaign in Ukraine. The lost vehicles and equipment will provide Ukrainian forces with valuable intelligence and technology, giving them an advantage in future battles.
GlobalData aerospace, defence, and security analyst James Marques claims: “The losses are definitely significant, and beyond raw numbers, I think it’s important to look at the equipment Russians are being forced to withdraw from old stocks. There is visually confirmed evidence of T-55 tanks that began production in the late 40s being shipped to the front.
“The International Institute for Strategic Studies listed about 10,000 in storage before the war. Most recently, they’ve revised to about 5,000, but we don’t know how many exactly are combat-ready. Russia’s trying to spin up its industry but highly doubtful it can both produce modern tanks and service the older ones.”
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, but in February 2022, Russia invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine in a significant escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Fighting has since continued in eastern Ukraine, with both sides suffering significant losses. The UK and other Western nations have condemned Russia’s actions and imposed economic sanctions.
Ukraine has been receiving tanks and training from allies in Europe. Ukrainian forces have recently completed Challenger 2 tank training from the UK Armed Forces and have since returned home to implement what they have learnt to repel Russian forces.
The UK Ministry of Defence’s announcement highlights the ongoing conflict and the losses suffered by the Russian military. The situation in Ukraine remains volatile, and further fighting is expected in the coming weeks and months, especially as both sides look to make the most of a spring offensive.
Norwegian forces have delivered and trained Ukrainian forces on Leopard 2 tanks, and eight Leopard 2 tanks and 19 CAESAR self-propelled howitzers promised for Ukraine have arrived in Poland for Ukraine from Canada, showing signs that Ukraine is well prepared to take advantage of Russia’s losses.
Source : ArmyTecnology
