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It would more than double the losses already sustained by the Russian forces in the entire war.
Withdraw from Donetsk, or we’ll take it by force.
That is essentially the ultimatum issued by the Kremlin in order to discuss a possible peace deal in Ukraine.
Kyiv has repeatedly denied the possibility of Ukrainian forces withdrawing from the highly contested region in eastern Ukraine, and so the fighting rages on, with devastating losses for the Russians.
Losses per square kilometre doubled
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa said that Russian losses in Donetsk are astounding.
“As of now, for one occupied square kilometre in the Donetsk region, they have 316 killed and wounded,” he told the outlet.
For comparison, the estimated Russian casualties per square kilometre gained in Donetsk in 2025 were 160, meaning the losses have doubled.
So let’s do the math.
Limited progress
The region remains heavily defended, with an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 square kilometres still outside Russian control.
If you multiply those numbers by the 316 soldiers lost per square kilometre, the losses would amount to between 1.9 and 2.2 million.
Note that this, of course, is a simplified method of calculating the estimated Russian losses in taking the rest of Donetsk, but it still gives a clear picture of how much Russian forces are struggling to gain ground.
Record losses in March
Ukraine’s General Staff said on April 9 that Russia has lost 1,307,540 troops since launching its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
The figure includes 1,040 casualties reported over the previous 24 hours.
For comparison, Dallas had a population of 1,304,379 in 2020, according to Ballotpedia.
The same update detailed extensive equipment losses, including 11,847 tanks and 24,370 armored combat vehicles, alongside tens of thousands of other military assets.
In early April, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine said that Russian casualties set a new record in March, with more than 35,300 casualties in just one month.
Sources: RBC-Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Ballotpedia
