Putin Has a Problem: The Ukraine War is Now a 'Daily Meatgrinder'
Russia’s continued offensive in Ukraine has resulted in severe casualties, with Russian forces, including North Korean troops and African mercenaries, incurring approximately 8,500 losses in just five days—a figure surpassing U.S. casualties from any year in Iraq.
What You Need to Know: Russia’s continued offensive in Ukraine has resulted in severe casualties, with Russian forces, including North Korean troops and African mercenaries, incurring approximately 8,500 losses in just five days—a figure surpassing U.S. casualties from any year in Iraq.
-Moscow's reliance on sheer numbers, deploying 50,000 troops (including 11,000 North Koreans) to recapture Kursk and Ukraine-held areas, underscores a grinding war of attrition that devalues troop welfare. Daily, losses near 1,770 personnel, plus equipment including tanks and drones.
-The Institute for the Study of War notes that this counteroffensive, though sustained, is hindered by Russia’s limited capacity for effective maneuver warfare.
North Korean Troops in Ukraine? Russia’s 50,000-Strong Counteroffensive Explained
Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine continues to be a daily meatgrinder. The Russian military is recruiting tens of thousands of additional troops every month, including North Korean soldiers and African mercenaries, to fight on the frontline in Ukraine.
The Russian military is trying to recapture the lost territories inside the Kursk Oblast in Russia while also making progress along the contact line in Ukraine. It is a delicate balance that requires a lot of men and resources. It also requires an uncommon belief in the righteousness of its cause, considering the human cost that nears 800,000 killed and wounded for Russia.
Meanwhile, the Russian losses in Ukraine continue to be shocking. In just five days, the Russian forces lost more men than the entire U.S. military lost in its single-worst year in Iraq.
The 50,000 Russo-North Korean Force
The latest estimates suggest that the Russian military has amassed a 50,000-strong force to extinguish the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast. That force includes the North Korean contingent, which numbers up to 11,000 troops. But the Kremlin has been gathering forces for quite some time.
“Recent Western and Ukrainian estimates about the size of the Russian force grouping in Kursk Oblast do not represent a significant inflection, as Russian forces have spent several months gathering forces for a future counteroffensive effort to expel Ukrainian forces from Russian territory,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in its latest operational estimate of the conflict.
The good thing for Ukraine is that these 50,000 Russo-North Korean troops are not fighting in Ukraine. Although the Kremlin has far been able to replenish the devastating losses it is suffering on a daily basis, additional troops would only make it harder for the Ukrainian defenses. The strategic wisdom of the Ukrainian foray into Russia might still be questionable, but at least there are some direct benefits.
Russian Casualties in Ukraine War
All the while this is happening, the Russian forces continue to take extremely heavy casualties on the ground.
Over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces lost approximately 1,770 troops killed or wounded. In addition, the Russian forces lost damaged or destroyed 96 tactical vehicles and fuel trucks, 61 unmanned aerial systems, 56 artillery guns and multiple launch rocket systems, 49 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, 23 main battle tanks, and 3 pieces of special equipment.
To understand the level of Russian losses, in the past five days, the Russian military, pro-Russian separatist forces, and paramilitary units have suffered more casualties than the entire U.S. military suffered in any single year of the conflict in Iraq. The highest losses the U.S. forces took in Iraq was in 2004, with 8,004 killed and wounded from across all services, including non-combat fatalities. In the past five days, the Russian forces have lost over 8,500 men. The war of attrition the Kremlin is intentionally waging in Ukraine showcases a complete disregard for the livelihood of its own troops, as well as seriously lackluster capabilities to fight a maneuver warfare campaign.
About the Author
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image Credit: Creative Commons.
