Russian Defense Minister, General Sergei Shoigu, said in a statement on March 20 that Ukraine had lost more than 71,000 soldiers and more than 11,000 units of various weapons since the beginning of the year.
“The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces during this period exceeded 71,000 people and 11,000 units of various weapons. This is almost three times higher than in the same period last year,” Shoigu said.
Russian pilots check Ka-52 attack helicopters before takeoff. (Photo: Sputnik)
Ukraine also lost 4 M1 Abrams tanks, 5 Leopard tanks, 6 HIMARS rocket artillery systems and 5 Patriot air defense systems.
Mr Shoigu added that Ukrainian forces lost 3,501 soldiers in attacks on Russian border settlements in the Belgorod and Kursk regions.
"The latest clashes between the two sides took place in the Kozinka settlement. All enemy attacks were successfully repelled, pushed out of Russian territory. At the same time, the losses of the Ukrainian armed forces in the border areas over the past eight days amounted to more than 3,500 people, of whom 790 were killed," Shoigu said.
The US is concerned about recent Russian military advances in Ukraine, making it increasingly difficult to secure military aid for Kiev, Shoigu said.
Speaking about air defense operations during the 2024 Russian presidential election, Mr. Shoigu said that the country's military shot down 419 Ukrainian drones and 67 missiles targeting Russian territory in the three days from March 15 to March 17.
General Sergei Shoigu stressed that Ukrainian armed forces attacked polling stations across Russia during last week's presidential election.
“They deliberately targeted polling stations and government institutions while civilians were present. Both the command of the Ukrainian armed forces and their Western advisers knew about it,” Shoigu said.
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