British military chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has stated that it will take Russian President Vladimir Putin five years to rebuild and strengthen Moscow’s army to its pre-war levels in February 2022. This estimate comes as casualties continue to mount in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with little hope of a resolution in sight. Russia’s military has suffered an estimated 550,000 casualties since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for nearly two and a half years. Radakin also noted that it will take an additional five years beyond that to address and rectify the weaknesses that the war has exposed in the Russian army.
Casualty counts in conflicts can be difficult to pin down, and the figures provided by both Russia and Ukraine are met with caution. Ukraine has reported that Russia’s casualties have surpassed 568,000 since February 2022, with around 1,220 casualties in the previous 24 hours alone. Western estimates of Russian casualties have aligned closely with Ukraine’s figures in recent months. The BBC’s Russian service and Mediazona confirmed the identities of nearly 60,000 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine up to mid-July, indicating the severity of the toll the conflict has taken on Russian forces.
Despite the substantial casualties suffered by Russia, the country has been making tactical gains in Ukraine at a high cost. Russian forces have been able to take towns and villages in Ukraine, but progress has been slow and costly in terms of human life. Former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported that nearly 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine within the first six months of the full-scale war. Kyiv estimates that Russia is able to inject up to 30,000 new soldiers into its ranks each month, but suggests that Moscow is sustaining even higher casualties than this figure on a monthly basis.
Ukraine has also suffered significant casualties in the conflict, with President Volodymyr Zelensky revealing that 31,000 Ukrainian personnel had been killed since the war began. Putin has claimed that Ukraine’s losses are five times higher than Russia’s, although specific figures have not been provided. Western intelligence and experts suggest that many of the Russian soldiers currently on the front lines lack adequate training and experience, with a significant number being former inmates or volunteers. This lack of trained personnel may have contributed to the challenges faced by Russia in achieving military objectives in Ukraine.
As the conflict in Ukraine drags on with no clear end in sight, the toll on both Russian and Ukrainian forces continues to rise. The rebuilding and strengthening of the Russian army to its pre-war levels will be a lengthy process, according to Admiral Radakin’s assessment. The ongoing casualties and challenges faced by both sides highlight the devastating impact of the war and the complex dynamics at play in the region. The international community is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine, as efforts to reach a resolution to the conflict remain elusive.
