Russian troop losses reach record high with 70,000 casualties in past two months

Russian casualties have reached a conflict high in Ukraine and it is expected that a minimum of 1,000 troops will be killed or injured every day for the foreseeable future, according to the UK's Ministry of Defence.

Russian armed forces' daily average losses have increased from 386 casualties in March 2022 at the start of the conflict to 1,262 by June 2024.

According to the Ukrainian MOD, the number of Russian casualties currently stands at around 568,980 troops in total.

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The UK MOD said in its latest intelligence update: "The average daily Russian losses (killed or wounded) in Ukraine was higher in May and June than in any other period since the war began in February 2022.

"Russian military casualties in May and June this year averaged more than 1,000 a day, higher than at any other point in the war so far.

"Poorly trained Russian soldiers are being used as cannon fodder in an attempt to overwhelm strong Ukrainian defences."

In the last two months of fighting, an estimated 70,000 Russian troops have been lost.

Questionable tactics including the use of suicide waves and poorly trained and inexperienced conscripts have contributed toward the high number of losses.

Moscow is attempting to overwhelm the Ukrainian defenders using large numbers of troops, which is also resulting in a higher casualty rate.