Kiev has lost over 14,000 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles since the start of Russia’s military operation in the country, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said during a Defense Ministry Board meeting.

“The myth of the invulnerability of Western military equipment has collapsed,” stressed Putin.

Throughout the Ukraine conflict, countries like the US, Germany, France, and the UK have supplied Kiev with hundreds of pieces of state-of-the-art Western-made heavy military equipment such as Leopard 2, Abrams and Challenger tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and more.

Russian forces, however, have repeatedly reported either destroying or capturing this hardware, which had often been touted in Western media as superior to anything Russia has to offer.

Earlier this month, Russian soldiers in Ukraine reportedly seized yet another batch of US and German-made heavy equipment. In a video posted by Russian journalist Vladimir Soloviev, the Russian troops could be seen approaching a Leopard 2A4 tank, which had apparently been abandoned by its Ukrainian operators as there were no signs of any damage to the tank.

In August, Russia’s Defense Ministry even organized an exhibition of captured Western weaponry near Moscow, displaying everything from American M-113 armored personnel carriers and Swedish CV90-40s to French wheeled AMX-10RCR tanks and Australian Bushmaster armored vehicles. In total, the exhibition featured over 870 types of armaments seized by Russian forces, including examples of Soviet and Ukrainian-made equipment.

In July, Putin also stated that captured Western weaponry would be “reverse-engineered” to adopt any technology that might turn out to be useful for Russian forces.

On Tuesday, Putin added Russia has the initiative along the line of engagement in the Ukraine conflict and is at liberty to conduct military action as it sees fit.

The president analyzed the frontline situation as part of a report on Russian military achievements in 2023. He also thanked soldiers and officers for their contributions during the event.

In his speech, Putin stated that the country had no intention to change the objectives that it set for itself when it decided to deploy troops against Ukraine in early 2022.

Describing the current situation, Putin said: “In the current situation “on the ground”, at the line of contact, we can say with confidence that our troops have the initiative.”

“In essence, we are doing what we consider necessary, what we want. Wherever… commanders decide active defense is best, it takes place. And where it is needed, we improve our positions,” he continued.

Ukraine has suffered significant casualties and is running out of reserves, the president added. He claimed that Kiev’s military strategy was motivated by a wish “to show to their true masters at least some results of their much-hyped so-called counteroffensive”.

According to Shoigu, “since the start of the special operation, the Ukrainian armed forces’ casualties have exceeded 383,000 service members, killed and wounded, 14,000 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, 553 warplanes and 259 helicopters, 8,500 artillery pieces, and multiple launch rocket systems.”

The minister claimed that Kiev has suffered almost half of its overall military personnel losses since it began an attempted counteroffensive in early June. The costly push has failed to deliver any consequential territorial gains, as recently acknowledged by top officials in Kiev and Western capitals alike.

Several NATO member states have boots on the ground in the Ukraine conflict, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has claimed. Western military personnel are operating certain weapons systems, he alleged, and that hundreds of the US-led military bloc’s satellites are providing surveillance data to Kiev.

Shoigu also stated that “NATO service members are directly operating air defense systems, tactical ballistic missiles, and multiple launch rocket systems” in Ukraine. He cited radio intercepts featuring English and Polish speakers.

According to the minister, Western officers are also playing an active role in preparing Ukrainian military operations as well as training troops, both in their home countries and in Ukraine.

Russian officials have repeatedly warned that ever-deepening Western involvement in the conflict unnecessarily increases the chances of a direct military confrontation between NATO and Moscow.

The Russian defense chief went on to claim that more than 5,000 foreign fighters have been killed since hostilities broke out in February 2022, with 1,427 Polish, 466 US, and 344 UK nationals among them.

“Working in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ interest are 410 NATO military and dual-purpose space devices,” Shoigu estimated.

President Vladimir Putin, who presided over a meeting of the ministry’s collegium, stated that Russian troops now have the upper hand along the entire front line.

Putin declared that Moscow is “not going to give up our goals of the special military operation”, adding that the Russian military currently has considerable leeway for maneuver in the conflict.

According to the Russian leader, Kiev “has to a large degree squandered its reserves, attempting to show some result to its true masters”. The last several months have also dispelled the myth that Western military hardware is invincible, he continued.

Putin concluded that any hopes of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia among Kiev’s Western backers have been shattered.