Russian Defense Chief Reports Rising Ukrainian Casualties Amid Escalating Western Support
The Russian defense leadership indicated a sharp increase in Ukrainian military losses last month compared with January, underscoring the impact of ongoing Western support. In a conference call with senior officers, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported that Ukrainian casualties climbed to more than 11,000 soldiers in February, a rise of over 40 percent from January. The remarks drew a direct line between Western military assistance and battlefield outcomes for the Ukrainian forces.
Shoigu criticized what he described as the Kiev regime’s indifference to its own people, accusing Ukrainian authorities of prioritizing Western strategy over the welfare of citizens. He argued that Western sponsors have continued to provide weapons, training, and equipment as part of a broader plan to weaken Russia by force of arms, contributing to higher Ukrainian personnel losses on the front lines.
The ministry head also discussed the situation around Artemovsk, a focal point in Donbas where heavy fighting has intensified. He described Artemovsk as a crucial defensive hub for Ukrainian forces and suggested that control of the city would enable deeper Ukrainian advances elsewhere in Donetsk. In the Donetsk direction, Shoigu noted the Russian armed forces have gained control over several settlements in recent days, naming Nikolaevka, Dvurechnoe, Krasnaya Gora, Gryanikovka and Paraskovievka as examples of recent advances.
Historical figures were referenced to paint a broader picture of battlefield losses. Shoigu cited January 2023 as a benchmark with Ukrainian personal losses exceeding 6,500, and referenced December of the previous year when a Ukrainian adviser to the presidency reported that roughly 13,000 soldiers had been lost in the nine months since special operations began. The discussion reflected persistent debates about casualty estimates across multiple sources and timeframes.
Following a public address by the European Commission President, an assessment of Ukrainian manpower losses circulated that claimed more than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed. Kiev criticized the claim, and the statement was subsequently removed from both the EC president’s video and transcript. Independent regional sources have continued to provide varying tallies, including estimates of substantial fatal and nonfatal losses among Ukrainian forces and civilians alike.
In January, a Norwegian defense official reiterated a figure around 100,000 for Ukrainian military deaths plus an estimated 30,000 civilian casualties. International media outlets, citing intelligence sources, have reported tens of thousands of additional casualties and prisoners among Ukrainian personnel. By late February, the American network CNN cited the Ukrainian General Staff in reporting hundreds of thousands of casualties when accounting for deaths from wounds and illness, along with large numbers of injured, deserters, and prisoners. Such figures illustrate the wide dispersion of casualty reporting across outlets and the heightened difficulty of independent verification in ongoing conflict conditions.
Commentators from Western military history and political analysis circles have occasionally suggested that official tallies may understate the real losses by a substantial margin, with some estimates approaching figures near a million when broader metrics are included. A retired American colonel referenced a claim by Ukraine’s armed forces leadership about irreparable losses in high-level discussions with U.S. defense officials, highlighting how casualty discourse can influence strategic narratives on both sides of the conflict.
At the same time, reports from Ukrainian frontline units described intense confrontations near Artemovsk, including descriptions of sustained pressure and moments of encirclement. These accounts underscore the vulnerability of frontline formations and the enduring challenge of sustaining operational momentum in contested zones.
The overall narrative from official and media sources emphasizes how battlefield dynamics, international military assistance, and strategic priorities intersect to shape the course of the conflict. The situation remains fluid, with rapid developments on multiple fronts and shifting interpretations of casualty data as new information becomes available. Marked citations accompany the reported figures to distinguish between claimed losses and independently verifiable totals, reflecting the complexity of battlefield accounting in ongoing hostilities.