General Staff: Russia has lost 976,780 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost 976,780 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on May 21.
The number includes 980 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 10,835 tanks, 22,569 armored fighting vehicles, 49,169 vehicles and fuel tanks, 28,090 artillery systems, 1,388 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,167 air defense systems, 372 airplanes, 336 helicopters, 36,692 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Read also: 'Trump doesn't know how to deal with gangsters' — US lets Ukraine down, once again
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Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Washington Post
Russia's strong ties with both Israel and Iran could help it emerge as a power broker
Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran. Israel's military strikes this weekend on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, killing top generals and scientists, and Tehran's response with drones and missiles, put Moscow in an awkward position, requiring fine diplomatic skills to preserve ties with both parties. But it also could open opportunities for Russia to possibly become a power broker to help end the confrontation. Some observers in Moscow also argue that the focus on the confrontation between Israel and Iran could distract global attention from the war in Ukraine and play into Russia's hands by potentially weakening Western support for Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to both Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, offering to help de-escalate the conflict. In his call with Pezeshkian, Putin condemned the Israeli strikes and offered his condolences. He noted that Russia has put forward specific initiatives aimed at resolving the situation around the Iranian nuclear program. Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement condemning the Israeli strikes as 'categorically unacceptable' and warning that 'all the consequences of this provocation will fall on the Israeli leadership.' It urged both parties 'to exercise restraint in order to prevent further escalation of tensions and keep the region from sliding into a full-scale war.' But despite the harshly worded condemnation of Israel's actions, Moscow hasn't issued any signal that it could offer anything beyond political support to Tehran despite a partnership treaty between the countries. In his call with Netanyahu, Putin 'emphasized the importance of returning to the negotiation process and resolving all issues related to the Iranian nuclear program exclusively through political and diplomatic means,' and he offered his mediation 'in order to prevent further escalation of tensions,' the Kremlin said in a readout. 'It was agreed that the Russian side will continue close contacts with the leadership of both Iran and Israel, aimed at resolving the current situation, which is fraught with the most disastrous consequences for the entire region,' it added. Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East by phone Saturday. Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said the Kremlin leader emphasized Russia's readiness to carry out mediation efforts, and noted it had proposed steps 'aimed at finding mutually acceptable agreements' during U.S.-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. Relations between Moscow and Tehran often were tense in the Cold War, when Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was a U.S. ally. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini branded the U.S. as the 'Great Satan,' but also assailed the Soviet Union as the 'Lesser Satan.' Russia-Iran ties warmed quickly after the USSR's demise in 1991, when Moscow became an important trade partner and a top supplier of weapons and technology to Iran as it faced international sanctions. Russia built Iran's first nuclear power plant in the port of Bushehr that became operational in 2013. Russia was part of the 2015 deal between Iran and six nuclear powers, offering sanctions relief for Tehran in exchange for curbing its atomic program and opening it to broader international scrutiny. It offered political support when the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the agreement during Trump's first term. After a civil war in Syria erupted in 2011, Russia and Iran pooled efforts to shore up Bashar Assad's government. They helped Assad reclaim most of the country but failed to prevent a swift collapse of his rule in December 2024 after a lightning opposition offensive. When Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the West alleged that Tehran signed a deal with the Kremlin to deliver Shahed drones and later launch their production in Russia. In January, Putin and Pezeshkian signed the 'comprehensive strategic partnership' treaty that envisions close political, economic and military ties. During the Cold War, Moscow armed and trained Israel's Arab foes. Diplomatic relations with Israel ruptured in 1967 but were restored in 1991. Russian-Israeli ties quickly warmed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and have remained strong. Despite Moscow's close ties with Tehran, Putin has repeatedly demonstrated his readiness to take Israeli interests into account. He has maintained warm, personal ties with Netanyahu, who frequently traveled to Russia before the war in Ukraine. Russia and Israel have built a close political, economic and cultural relationship that helped them tackle delicate and divisive issues, including developments in Syria. It survived a tough test in 2018, when a Russian military reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli airstrike, killing all 15 people aboard. And even though Russia supplied Iran with sophisticated S-300 air defense missile systems, which Israel said were taken out during its strikes last year on Iran, Moscow has dragged its feet on deliveries of other weapons in an apparent response to Israeli worries. In particular, Russia has delayed providing advanced Su-35 fighter jets that Iran wants so it can upgrade its aging fleet. Israel, in its turn, appeared to take Moscow's interests into account by showing little enthusiasm for providing Ukraine with weapons in the 3-year-old war. The Kremlin's friendly ties with Israel has fueled discontent in Tehran, where some members of the political and military leadership reportedly were suspicious of Moscow's intentions. Maintaining good ties with both Israel and Iran could pay off now, placing Moscow in a position of a power broker trusted by both parties and a potential participant in any future deal on Tehran's nuclear program. Long before Friday's strikes, Putin discussed the mounting Middle East tensions in his calls with Trump, conversations that offered the Russian leader a chance to pivot away from the war in Ukraine and engage more broadly with Washington on global issues. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov suggested in recent days that Russia could take highly enriched uranium from Iran and convert it into civilian reactor fuel as part of a potential agreement between the United States and Iran. Prospects for negotiating a deal under which Iran would accept tighter restrictions on its nuclear program appear dim after the Israeli strikes. But if talks resume, Russia's offer could emerge as a pivotal component of an agreement. Many observers believe the Israeli attacks will likely fuel global oil prices and help enrich Moscow at a time when its economy is struggling . 'It will destroy the hopes of Ukraine and its allies in Western Europe for a drop in Russian oil revenues that are essential for filling the military budget,' Moscow-based military analyst Ruslan Pukhov wrote in a commentary. Some commentators in Moscow also argue the confrontation in the Middle East will likely distract Western attention and resources from the war in Ukraine and make it easier for Russia to pursue its battlefield goals. 'The world's attention to Ukraine will weaken,' said pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov. 'A war between Israel and Iran will help the Russian army's success in Ukraine.'
CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Russia is shifting tactics again, assaulting Ukrainian cities with swarms of killer drones
On a recent evening in Kyiv, 4-year-old Olexander Reshetnik made a simple suggestion to his parents: 'Let's go to the parking garage now so we can sleep properly, and you don't have to wake us up twice to take us there and back.' The family lives on the 18th floor of a high-rise building and getting into the underground garage that doubles as a bomb shelter during Russian attacks is an uncomfortable experience. With aerial attacks becoming more common, it made sense to Oleksander to simply stay there. Even at his young age, he knew the Russians would likely attack again. His mother Khrystyna Reshetnik said the family has gotten used to seeing drones being shot down in the skies over Ukraine's capital. In days gone by there would be one or two, maybe three, but things have changed. 'Lately, they've been flying like a swarm that doesn't stop for three or four hours. Explosions right outside the windows,' she told CNN. Russia has ramped up its airborne attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks, launching as many as 479 drones and missiles in a single night. These assaults are not just bigger and more frequent; they are also more concentrated and executed in a way that makes them a lot more difficult to combat – as they are flown at higher altitudes, out of reach of machine guns. The increase in the number of drones Russia is deploying against its neighbor is stunning: seven of Moscow's largest drone attacks in its war on Ukraine have happened in the past four weeks, according to a CNN tally. Russia successfully scaled up the domestic production of its most frequently used drone – the Iranian-designed Shahed – last fall and is now churning out hundreds of these killing machines every day. Christina Harward, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said that according to current estimates, Moscow can now produce about 2,700 Shahed drones per month, as well as some 2,500 decoy drones. 'These numbers are allowing Russia to more frequently launch over 300 or even 400 drones in just one night,' she told CNN. The fact that some of the drones are decoys makes little difference to the Ukrainian defenses as Moscow has adapted them in a way that makes it very difficult to distinguish them from the real thing. 'So, either Ukrainian forces spend time trying to identify the decoys or they spend precious resources shooting them down. Either way, this helps the Russian missiles and Shaheds – with their large payloads – (as they) have the chance to get through to their targets,' Harward said. The increased number of drones launched each night is overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses, especially since Russia began to zero in on handful of locations at a time. On Monday night, it targeted the Ukrainian capital and the Black Sea port city of Odesa. The following night, it was Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. 'Instead of targeting a bit here and there, they concentrate the strikes and are able to achieve maximum effect, both kinetic and psychological,' Oleksiy Melnyk, a former Ukrainian defense ministry official who is now the co-director of foreign relations and international security programs at the Razumkov Center in Kyiv, told CNN. Russia maintains that it does not target civilians, but evidence to the contrary continues to mount. At least 154 Ukrainian civilians – including children – have been killed by drones, in Russian missile assaults and by artillery across the country in the last four weeks. A further 900 civilians have been injured. The deadly attacks are designed to undermine Ukrainian morale and create the illusion that Russia has the upper hand in the war – even though Moscow is far from 'winning.' The front line in Ukraine has not moved in any significant way since Ukrainian forces liberated the southern city of Kherson in November 2023. Russia has only managed to seize about 5,000 square kilometers (1,900 square miles) of Ukraine's territory since then. Russian troops have advanced in some areas in eastern and northern Ukraine in recent months but have not managed to break through or take over a major city. Yuriy Chumak spends many of his nights perched on Kyiv's rooftops, machine gun in hand. A Supreme Court judge by day, he is part of a volunteer drone-hunting unit by night. He said the skies have gotten significantly busier in recent weeks. 'There are many more drones. This is an objective fact. And, of course, the more there are, the harder it is to work against them,' Chumak told CNN. He said after Moscow started flying drones at higher altitudes, it has become much harder, if not impossible, for his unit to destroy them. Previously, Russian forces would fly the drones low, for example along a riverbed, to avoid being detected by Ukraine's air defenses for as long as possible. 'The time to respond was very short because we only detected it when it was (close),' he said. These days, he said, Russian drones are flying two to five kilometers (1 to 3 miles) above the ground. 'We can see them all. Radars can track them. But it has become impossible to shoot them down with machine guns,' Chumak said, adding that Ukraine now has to use missiles to thwart them. But missiles are in much shorter supply. This is pushing Ukrainian forces to find new solutions on the go. Melnyk said that the efficiency of Ukraine's air defense system remains remarkable. 'Even now, about 80% of drones are being intercepted. A few months ago, this percentage was about 95. (But) we can see the impact of Russia increasing the number (of drones) and changing tactics,' he added. Speaking to reporters last month, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the Ukrainian Air Force and volunteers like Chumak for pivoting as Russia ramped up its air war. He added that Kyiv was now using drone-to-drone interceptors to combat the higher altitude bombardment. 'We have the technology. The question is when we will be able to expand,' he said. Zelensky said that Russia can produce some 300 to 350 drones a day, while Ukraine can only make 100. 'The issue is no longer about production capacity. It's financial,' he said. Kyiv mom Khrystyna Reshetnik said one of the worst things about the Russian aerial assaults is that they have become commonplace to her three boys, aged 4, 8 and 11. Olexander regularly asks whether the noise he hears is a Kalibr cruise missile or a drone. 'He's just a little boy and he already understands what's going on,' Reshetnik said. As the attacks have intensified in size and scope, the family has been spending more time in the underground parking garage, where Olexander and his two brothers sleep in the trunk of their car. 'This has become the norm for our children. It hurts my heart,' she said. Yet despite the daily horrors they experience, the Reshetniks are among the lucky ones. They live in Kyiv, a city that is relatively well defended. The majority of the explosions they hear are Ukrainian air defenses intercepting Russian drones. Many others elsewhere around the country are left without protective shields because Ukraine's access to air defenses is limited by what its Western allies are willing to spare. Closer to the front lines, Russian troops have been using smaller drones to target civilians. 'We talk about these big attacks, especially when Kyiv is under attack, but cities like Sumy or Kherson are under attack 24/7,' Melnyk said, interrupted by an air raid alarm as he spoke to CNN. 'There is (a) ballistic missile coming, so I am going to go into the shelter. My point is that this is the daily life of Ukrainian citizens and civilians.' CNN's Kostya Gak and Victoria Butenko contributed reporting.
CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Russia is shifting tactics again, assaulting Ukrainian cities with swarms of killer drones
On a recent evening in Kyiv, 4-year-old Olexander Reshetnik made a simple suggestion to his parents: 'Let's go to the parking garage now so we can sleep properly, and you don't have to wake us up twice to take us there and back.' The family lives on the 18th floor of a high-rise building and getting into the underground garage that doubles as a bomb shelter during Russian attacks is an uncomfortable experience. With aerial attacks becoming more common, it made sense to Oleksander to simply stay there. Even at his young age, he knew the Russians would likely attack again. His mother Khrystyna Reshetnik said the family has gotten used to seeing drones being shot down in the skies over Ukraine's capital. In days gone by there would be one or two, maybe three, but things have changed. 'Lately, they've been flying like a swarm that doesn't stop for three or four hours. Explosions right outside the windows,' she told CNN. Russia has ramped up its airborne attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks, launching as many as 479 drones and missiles in a single night. These assaults are not just bigger and more frequent; they are also more concentrated and executed in a way that makes them a lot more difficult to combat – as they are flown at higher altitudes, out of reach of machine guns. The increase in the number of drones Russia is deploying against its neighbor is stunning: seven of Moscow's largest drone attacks in its war on Ukraine have happened in the past four weeks, according to a CNN tally. Russia successfully scaled up the domestic production of its most frequently used drone – the Iranian-designed Shahed – last fall and is now churning out hundreds of these killing machines every day. Christina Harward, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said that according to current estimates, Moscow can now produce about 2,700 Shahed drones per month, as well as some 2,500 decoy drones. 'These numbers are allowing Russia to more frequently launch over 300 or even 400 drones in just one night,' she told CNN. The fact that some of the drones are decoys makes little difference to the Ukrainian defenses as Moscow has adapted them in a way that makes it very difficult to distinguish them from the real thing. 'So, either Ukrainian forces spend time trying to identify the decoys or they spend precious resources shooting them down. Either way, this helps the Russian missiles and Shaheds – with their large payloads – (as they) have the chance to get through to their targets,' Harward said. The increased number of drones launched each night is overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses, especially since Russia began to zero in on handful of locations at a time. On Monday night, it targeted the Ukrainian capital and the Black Sea port city of Odesa. The following night, it was Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. 'Instead of targeting a bit here and there, they concentrate the strikes and are able to achieve maximum effect, both kinetic and psychological,' Oleksiy Melnyk, a former Ukrainian defense ministry official who is now the co-director of foreign relations and international security programs at the Razumkov Center in Kyiv, told CNN. Russia maintains that it does not target civilians, but evidence to the contrary continues to mount. At least 154 Ukrainian civilians – including children – have been killed by drones, in Russian missile assaults and by artillery across the country in the last four weeks. A further 900 civilians have been injured. The deadly attacks are designed to undermine Ukrainian morale and create the illusion that Russia has the upper hand in the war – even though Moscow is far from 'winning.' The front line in Ukraine has not moved in any significant way since Ukrainian forces liberated the southern city of Kherson in November 2023. Russia has only managed to seize about 5,000 square kilometers (1,900 square miles) of Ukraine's territory since then. Russian troops have advanced in some areas in eastern and northern Ukraine in recent months but have not managed to break through or take over a major city. Yuriy Chumak spends many of his nights perched on Kyiv's rooftops, machine gun in hand. A Supreme Court judge by day, he is part of a volunteer drone-hunting unit by night. He said the skies have gotten significantly busier in recent weeks. 'There are many more drones. This is an objective fact. And, of course, the more there are, the harder it is to work against them,' Chumak told CNN. He said after Moscow started flying drones at higher altitudes, it has become much harder, if not impossible, for his unit to destroy them. Previously, Russian forces would fly the drones low, for example along a riverbed, to avoid being detected by Ukraine's air defenses for as long as possible. 'The time to respond was very short because we only detected it when it was (close),' he said. These days, he said, Russian drones are flying two to five kilometers (1 to 3 miles) above the ground. 'We can see them all. Radars can track them. But it has become impossible to shoot them down with machine guns,' Chumak said, adding that Ukraine now has to use missiles to thwart them. But missiles are in much shorter supply. This is pushing Ukrainian forces to find new solutions on the go. Melnyk said that the efficiency of Ukraine's air defense system remains remarkable. 'Even now, about 80% of drones are being intercepted. A few months ago, this percentage was about 95. (But) we can see the impact of Russia increasing the number (of drones) and changing tactics,' he added. Speaking to reporters last month, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the Ukrainian Air Force and volunteers like Chumak for pivoting as Russia ramped up its air war. He added that Kyiv was now using drone-to-drone interceptors to combat the higher altitude bombardment. 'We have the technology. The question is when we will be able to expand,' he said. Zelensky said that Russia can produce some 300 to 350 drones a day, while Ukraine can only make 100. 'The issue is no longer about production capacity. It's financial,' he said. Kyiv mom Khrystyna Reshetnik said one of the worst things about the Russian aerial assaults is that they have become commonplace to her three boys, aged 4, 8 and 11. Olexander regularly asks whether the noise he hears is a Kalibr cruise missile or a drone. 'He's just a little boy and he already understands what's going on,' Reshetnik said. As the attacks have intensified in size and scope, the family has been spending more time in the underground parking garage, where Olexander and his two brothers sleep in the trunk of their car. 'This has become the norm for our children. It hurts my heart,' she said. Yet despite the daily horrors they experience, the Reshetniks are among the lucky ones. They live in Kyiv, a city that is relatively well defended. The majority of the explosions they hear are Ukrainian air defenses intercepting Russian drones. Many others elsewhere around the country are left without protective shields because Ukraine's access to air defenses is limited by what its Western allies are willing to spare. Closer to the front lines, Russian troops have been using smaller drones to target civilians. 'We talk about these big attacks, especially when Kyiv is under attack, but cities like Sumy or Kherson are under attack 24/7,' Melnyk said, interrupted by an air raid alarm as he spoke to CNN. 'There is (a) ballistic missile coming, so I am going to go into the shelter. My point is that this is the daily life of Ukrainian citizens and civilians.' CNN's Kostya Gak and Victoria Butenko contributed reporting.
