Russian defense chief claims Ukraine lost 215k troops in 2023

“Groupings of Russian troops are methodically reducing the combat potential of the Ukrainian armed forces. Over the past year, enemy losses exceeded 215,000 servicepeople and 28,000 weapons systems. We maintain the strategic initiative along the entire line of combat contact,” Shoigu said at a working meeting with military leaders on Tuesday.

Summarizing the situation at the front, the defense minister pointed to signs of Ukraine’s military formations experiencing a depletion of manpower, and failing to achieve any of their stated objectives on the battlefield against Russian forces.

But in spite of this situation, “the United States is cold-bloodedly trying to achieve its ambitions for global leadership at the expense of Ukrainian lives. At the instigation of its Western curators, the Kiev regime continues to drive its soldiers to slaughter, and is searching for any opportunities to replenish the ranks of the Ukrainian Army.”

“This will not change the situation on the line of combat, but only prolong the military conflict,” he added.

Turning to the Russian defense industry’s efforts to keep the military supplied with weapons and equipment, Shoigu confirmed that these efforts would include a focus on all types of unmanned aerial vehicles, including heavy strike drones.

“We will increase the supply of the most popular models. In particular, we will form a serial line of unmanned aerial vehicles — from mini drones to heavy attack UAVs,” Shoigu said.

Regarding matters of global strategic stability, the defense minister reiterated that Russia maintains the combat readiness of its nuclear triad at a high level to ensure a global strategic balance.

“One of the key tasks is maintaining the combat readiness of the nuclear triad at the highest level, which ensures a strategic balance in the world.”

Russia will continue to upgrade its equipment, including using new AI technology, and weapons based on new physical principles, Shoigu added.

The Ministry of Defense also has plans this year to upgrade its communication, reconnaissance, target designation, counter-battery warfare, air defense and satellite systems, the defense minister indicated.

Other plans include efforts to improve tactics for the use of troops, and updates to the provisions of regulations and manuals in light of operational experience, Shoigu said. Additionally, social security payments to participants of the special military operation and their families remain a priority, he said.

“Solving these and other tasks will allow us to increase the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces and ensure deterrence against aggression against our country and its allies,” Shoigu added.

Russia’s military enters 2024 in a confident state after successfully halting Ukraine’s summer 2023 summer counteroffensive and proving that its forces can successfully withstand large-scale assaults by a NATO-trained, -armed and -financed military. Ukraine’s backers in the West have called for the conflict to continue until its victorious conclusion, but growing numbers of officials and politicians, as well as the US and European publics, are coming to the realization that Russia cannot be defeated militarily, and have questioned their elites’ strategy of sending additional tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons and economic aid to prop up Kiev.