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UK Defense Ministry: Russian casualty rates 'some of highest' over last 6 weeks

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UK Defense Ministry: Russian casualty rates 'some of highest' over last 6 weeks
Ukrainian soldiers participate in a blank fire exercise, together with instructors from the Norwegian Home Guard 12th District Company "Hegra," on Aug. 25, 2023, north of Trondheim, Norway. (Jonathan Nackstrand/ AFP via Getty Images)

Russian forces in Ukraine have likely suffered “some of the highest" casualty rates in the past six weeks, mainly caused by Russia’s offensive against Avdiivka, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Nov. 27.

The ministry cited reports by the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces saying that Russia’s losses have reached a daily average of 931 troops throughout November.

Previously, the deadliest month for Russian forces was March this year, with an average of 776 losses per day at the peak of Russia’s assault against the city of Bakhmut, the ministry wrote in its latest intelligence update.

“Although Defense Intelligence cannot verify the methodology, taken as a total including both killed and wounded, the figures are plausible,” reads the update.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, as of Nov. 27, Russia has lost 325,580 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

The Ukrainian military doesn’t disclose how it has been calculating Russian losses. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow have revealed the exact numbers of their own losses in the war.

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Dinara Khalilova

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Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.

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