August M
The war in Ukraine is being reshaped by technology that has turned the battlefield into a constant surveillance zone.
As both sides adapt, the human cost is climbing and new questions are emerging about Russia’s ability to sustain its campaign, Hotnews.ro reports.
Drone driven battlefield
According to a report published last month by Latvia’s foreign intelligence service, drones now account for 70% to 80% of deaths and injuries on both sides.
The widespread use of aerial surveillance and strike drones has made even small movements risky, limiting the effectiveness of mechanized assaults and forcing troops into slower, more exposed advances.
A former Ukrainian officer who runs the Frontelligence Insight analytical group told the Financial Times: “They are pushing their resources beyond reasonable limits, which leads to deaths that could often be avoided.”
Rising casualty toll
The growing reliance on infantry tactics has come at a high cost. A January study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that at least 325,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that between 30,000 and 35,000 Russian soldiers are killed or seriously injured each month. Western officials cited by the Financial Times have provided similar overall casualty estimates.
The CSIS report noted that Russia’s advances since gaining battlefield superiority in 2024 have averaged between 15 and 70 meters per day, a pace it described as slower than in most conflicts of the past century.
“If this situation continues, they will lose between 100,000 and 120,000 soldiers from the front in just a few months. And they will not be able to fill this gap easily,” Zelensky said.
Recruitment and money
Despite heavy losses, Moscow says it recruited 422,704 personnel last year and has set similar targets for 2026.
Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, said that up to 90% of new recruits in 2025 have been deployed to replace battlefield casualties rather than expand Russia’s force.
Janis Kluge of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs told the Financial Times that enlistment bonuses alone amount to about 0.5% of Russia’s GDP. An investigation by the independent outlet Bell found that soldiers from poorer regions such as Buryatia and Tuva have died at significantly higher rates than those from Moscow.
Strategic doubts grow
The Financial Times reported that Russia is concentrating forces in southern and eastern Ukraine ahead of a possible spring offensive, citing Die Welt and Kyiv Post.
But analysts question whether sustained pressure will bring decisive gains. Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told the Financial Times: “Putin has bet that sustained pressure on a broad front will ultimately lead to the collapse of Ukraine. But the way Russian forces are fighting simply will not generate significant operational progress.”
He added that over time, “you run out of people for whom the money is worth it.”
Sources: Financial Times, Die Welt, Kyiv Post, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Bell, Latvia’s foreign intelligence service.
