The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces released a statement stating that the Russian military suffered heavy losses in the Kyiv region in the days preceding and including Christmas. On December 25 alone, there were reportedly 1,010 casualties, 37 APCs, and 22 tanks among these losses.
On December 26, this information was shared on the Facebook page of the General Staff. The report detailed the Russian military’s casualties since the invasion started and gave a full rundown of their failures over the holidays.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian casualties were astonishing, with 354,960 soldiers, 5,899 tanks, and 10,956 AAVs among the terrible numbers. During the same time period, the General Staff asserted that Russia lost a significant amount of vital military equipment, such as artillery, planes, and unmanned drones.
It appears that several current counteroffensives in the region by the Ukrainians are connected to the particularly terrible losses over the holidays. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in a video speech that in the days preceding Christmas, Ukrainian soldiers shot down 30 “Shahid” drones and at least five separate Russian Su planes.
On December 19, Ukrainian soldiers also carried out a targeted strike on a port in Crimea. Nevertheless, the level of harm sustained is a matter of debate. According to the Ukrainian military, the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk and all nearby infrastructure were destroyed in the offensive. While downplaying the overall impact, Russian officials admitted that the vessel and many neighboring structures sustained damage.
If confirmed, the mounting number of casualties and the alleged destruction of military hardware show that the conflict is still severely taxing Russia’s armed forces. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that neither the country’s military nor the Kremlin have confirmed these data.
Regardless of these reported casualties, it does not appear that Vladimir Putin or the Kremlin are prepared to cease the invasion of Ukraine anytime soon. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the allegation that Russia was right to free Maryinka on December 26 in a national address. The assertion has subsequently been rejected by Kyiv, who have countered that fierce fighting is still going on within the territory.
