Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
I do not want to be the one to deliver the news to Putin …
In the beginning of the year, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Ukraine’s new strategy was to kill 50,000 Russian soldiers every month, CNN reported in early February.
The target was announced after Ukraine claimed to have eliminated more than 35,000 Russian soldiers in December alone.
We have now entered April, and even though the number of eliminations have not reached the 50,000 mark, the Russian losses are increasing.
And March was turned out to be the deadliest month yeat to be a Russian soldier in the war in Ukraine.
Rising losses
Ukrainian authorities say in a statement from April 3, that more than 35,300 Russian troops were killed or seriously wounded in March.
According to officials, this marks the highest monthly toll since the launch of the country’s “Army of Drones” incentive programme.
The data is based on Kyiv’s ePoints system, which compiles verified battlefield strikes supported by video evidence. Each recorded “hit” is logged and assessed through this process, Ukrainian officials said.
Drone dominance
Figures released by Kyiv indicate that drones were responsible for the overwhelming majority of attacks.
Authorities reported 33,988 drone-related strikes during March, compared with 1,363 linked to artillery.
Officials also said Ukrainian forces struck more than 151,000 targets overall during the month. Units from the Security Service of Ukraine and airborne forces were among those cited for their role in drone operations.
Equipment losses
In addition to personnel losses, Ukraine reported extensive damage to Russian military equipment. Officials said 274 air defence systems, 121 multiple launch rocket systems, and 212 artillery units were destroyed.
Kyiv also claimed it intercepted 33,686 Russian drones, including Shahed and Gerbera models, during the same period.
Attrition strategy
Ukrainian officials said Russian troop losses have outpaced replenishment for four consecutive months.
They described this as part of a broader effort to increase pressure through sustained attrition.
The figures remain unverified by independent observers, but they underscore Kyiv’s emphasis on drone-led warfare as a central element of its strategy.
Sources: Ukrainian officials, Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, CNN
