As the full-scale conflict in Ukraine nears the four-year mark, human casualties have reached staggering levels, with combined Russian and Ukrainian losses approaching two million.
Despite claims of battlefield momentum in Ukraine, the data show that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains and is in decline as a major power.
Since February 2022, Russian forces have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties, more losses than any major power in any war since World War II. At current rates, combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could reach two million by the spring of 2026.
After seizing the initiative in 2024, Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of 15-70 meters per day in their most prominent offensives, slower than almost any major offensive campaign in the last century. Meanwhile, Russia’s war economy is under mounting strain, with manufacturing declining, growth slowing to 0.6% in 2025, and no globally competitive technology firms to drive long-term productivity, according to an analysis by CSIS.
In terms of military equipment, the two sides have lost a combined total of 28,000 weapon platforms, according to open-source data.
This includes almost 6,000 tanks, more than 13,000 armored vehicles, and over 3,000 artillery pieces.
Actual equipment losses are likely to be significantly higher, since the analysis by Oryx – an open-source intelligence website – only includes captured and destroyed vehicles and equipment for which photo or videographic evidence is available.
