Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
No wonder Russia is pushing to recruite more than 400,000 new troops in 2026!
The war in Ukraine has turned into a grinding battle of attrition. According to Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Russian forces are paying a devastating price for every inch of ground they take in the eastern Donetsk region.
Syrskyi shared these stark figures after meeting with Lieutenant General Curtis Buzzard, who leads the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) mission. During their meeting, the Ukrainian commander laid out the harsh reality of the current battlefield.
To make his point clear, Syrskyi focused on the sheer number of lives lost. He pointed directly to the heavy toll of the fighting in the east.
“Ukrainian warriors are making every effort to ensure that every step the enemy takes becomes as costly and exhausting as possible for them. Thus, for example, in the Donetsk region, the Russian army loses more than 400 soldiers to capture one square kilometer of territory,” Syrskyi said.
It is unclear how much of Donetsk Oblast Russia currently controls. In December 2024, the Institute for the Study of War estimated that 72% of the oblast was under Russian control.
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Striking from afar
Ukraine is not just holding the line. The country is also using what Syrskyi described as an “active defense” strategy to regain the initiative. By doing so, it hopes to wear down Russia’s ability to launch major attacks.
Part of this plan involves hitting targets deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian forces are targeting defense factories at distances of up to 2,000 kilometers. These deep strikes aim to disrupt the weapons production supporting Russia’s war effort.
Closer to the front, Ukraine is running what it calls the Middle Strike campaign. This effort targets supply lines and logistics hubs between 200 and 300 kilometers behind the front line. “This should also affect the battlefield,” Syrskyi explained.
Meanwhile, other reports show how these costly territorial pushes unfold on the ground. Radio Svoboda recently reported that some Russian assault groups are sent on highly dangerous missions simply to raise flags in contested villages. These high-risk stunts are designed for propaganda, but they often end in heavy losses.
