Russia's "meat-grinder" tactics in the nearly three-year-old war in Ukraine has resulted in Moscow taking territory but at an "enormous cost" in military lives lost, according to a report.
Since invading its western neighbor in February 2022, Russia has captured or retaken about 907 square miles in eastern Ukraine and in Russia's western Kursk region, but the gains have been marked by a dreadful human toll, the BBC reported.
Russia in November had 45,680 casualties—the most in any month since the invasion, the report said, citing data from Britain's defense ministry.
Moscow is losing a daily average of 1,523 men killed and wounded, the UK Defense Intelligence estimates.
"We're seeing the Russians grinding out more advances," one official said. "But at enormous cost."
The Institute for the Study of War said Russia's "meat-grinder" tactics are costing the lives of 50 soldiers per every square kilometer of territory taken, the BBC reported.
More than 125,000 soldiers have been killed in Russia's autumn offense operations, the Washington, D.C.-based institute estimated.
It's difficult to estimate Ukraine's losses, the report said, because Kyiv does not publish lists of its casualties.
But Russia's defense ministry puts the toll at more than 38,000 killed and wounded in Kursk alone.
Yuriy Butusov, a Ukrainian war correspondent, said about 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since February 2022.
Another 35,000 are missing.
Western officials said they see no sign that Russia will let up on its offensives.
"The Russian forces are highly likely to continue to attempt to stretch Ukrainian forces by using mass to overwhelm defensive positions and achieve tactical gains," one official said, the BBC reported.
Originally published by Latin Times
