Russia Battered as Putin Loses Nearly 40,000 Troops in a Month
Russia reportedly lost nearly 40,000 military personnel in just one month amid a slowing pace of attacks in Ukraine. As Russian casualties continue to mount, Ukrainian drone and missile strikes are said to have slowed the advance of Moscow’s forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation as proof that Kyiv’s defensive strategy is beginning to bear fruit. “If Putin wants to send another million of his soldiers to continue fighting against this wall, then the one million Russians who have not yet been mobilised must think about what awaits them next,” Zelenskyy said, referring to estimates that Russian casualties have reached around 1.4 million since the war began.
Based on Ukrainian military estimates, Russia lost approximately 39,490 personnel throughout June. That figure far exceeds the estimated recruitment capacity for new Russian troops, which is thought to be only around 24,000 to 30,000 people per month. The Institute for the Study of War also noted that Russian casualties now amount to roughly 1,298 personnel for every square kilometre of territory captured in June, a sharp increase from 68 personnel per square kilometre during the same period last year.
ISW reported that the pace of Russian advances on the battlefield continues to decline. Throughout the first half of 2026, Russia only seized around 622 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory, a drastic drop from 2,190 square kilometres in the same period the previous year. In fact, if infiltrations that have not yet resulted in territorial control are excluded from the calculation, Russia’s net gain was only about 97 square kilometres. In June, Russian forces managed to capture an average of just 1.03 square kilometres of territory per day, far lower than the average of 16.6 square kilometres per day during the first six months of 2025. At that rate, Russia is estimated to need around 14 years to seize the remaining roughly 20 per cent of Donetsk still under Ukrainian control.
Zelenskyy said the Russian slowdown is inseparable from the increased production of Ukrainian-made drones and long-range missiles used to strike Russian logistics lines, from ammunition depots, supply convoys, and bridges to electrical substations in Crimea. “Battalions will receive additional resources,” he said. Meanwhile, Commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, known as “Magyar”, claimed his forces destroyed or damaged 50,147 military targets throughout June and struck Russian targets on average every 52 seconds.
Amid the battlefield pressure, Russia has again stated it is open to US mediation to end the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said proposals previously discussed with Washington could still serve as a basis for a settlement. Similarly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed that Moscow remains open to the peace process. However, President Vladimir Putin admitted he has rejected two ceasefire proposals from Ukraine because he believes Russia’s military operations still offer strategic advantages. On the other hand, Russia is also facing economic pressure after oil revenues from January to May were reported to have fallen by around 30 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to Ukrainian Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasyuk. The decline is said to be triggered by a combination of international sanctions and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that disrupted oil distribution and fuel supplies. However, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak denied any crisis and asserted that domestic fuel supplies remain sufficient. Putin also stated that Russia still has petrol reserves of around 1.7 million tonnes, although the government is extending the ban on diesel exports to safeguard domestic supply.