Russia experienced one of its bloodiest days since the start of its invasion of Ukraine on October 17.
Only One Day With More Casualties
Ukrainian military sources reported that Russian forces suffered 1,530 casualties in a single day, marking the second-highest daily death toll for Russian troops since the war began.
This staggering figure was reported by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and relayed by Defense Romania. The only day with more casualties occurred on May 13, 2024, when Russian forces lost 1,740 soldiers in 24 hours, according to Ziare.
Russia’s heavy losses can be attributed to its military doctrine, which is deeply rooted in Soviet-era strategies.
Historically, this approach has relied on the sheer quantity of available manpower and resources.
Resemblance to Stalin
Steven Wolff, a professor of international security studies at the University of Birmingham, emphasized this point.
“The Russian military doctrine is of Soviet origin and has always depended on the massive human resources and geographic depth of Russia,” he explained. "What Putin is doing today is not much different from how Stalin threw millions of people at the Nazis during World War II,"
Wolff noted, underlining the parallels between past and present Russian military strategies.
Recent months have been particularly costly for Russia. A report from British military intelligence, dated September 23, 2024, highlighted that the last four months have been the most devastating for Russian forces since the invasion began in 2022. Despite these losses, Russian leadership appears committed to continuing the fight, with little regard for the mounting human toll.
Russia’s reliance on overwhelming numbers may no longer be a sustainable strategy, as these severe losses have started to take a noticeable toll on its operational capabilities.
