Russia suffered "astronomical" losses while attempting to advance in Kharkiv Oblast, European Pravda reported on June 13, citing a NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity during a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.
Russia launched a new offensive on May 10 in northern Kharkiv Oblast in a push that involved as many as 30,000 troops, according to a Ukrainian official.
Russian forces have so far advanced less than 10 kilometers into Ukrainian territory and have not managed to seize control of Vovchansk, a city with a pre-2022 population of around 17,000.
"I would also add that the gains in Kharkiv Oblast seem to have come at a rather high price for Russia," European Pravda cited the NATO official.
"Russia likely suffered losses of almost 1,000 people a day in May, which is quite an astronomical figure," the official reportedly said, referring to the number of fatalities.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published on May 25 that Russia's losses during the offensive were eight times higher than those suffered by Ukraine's Armed Forces.
According to Ukrainian figures, Russian losses in Ukraine passed the grim milestone of 500,000 on May 25. The figure could not be independently verified.
Speaking at the Ramstein group meeting in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin provided a lower number, putting Russian losses at 350,000 killed or wounded since February 2022. Moscow does not usually comment on its casualties.
Francis Farrell
