Russia has reportedly experienced its most devastating single-day loss in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, losing 1,950 soldiers in an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the city of Kursk.
According to Ukraine’s military officials, Ukrainian troops resisted the assault and continued to secure most of the territory regained in their August counter-invasion.
In a statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Anastasia Blyshchyk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s 7th Separate Mechanized Brigade, described Monday as a “black day for the Russian occupiers.”
Blyshchyk reported that Russian forces launched a multi-wave assault on Ukrainian-held areas, deploying armoured vehicles, paratroopers, and infantry forces to break through. She credited Ukraine’s 47th Brigade with destroying ten armoured vehicles loaded with Russian infantry within an hour as the cars came under heavy fire and encountered Ukrainian minefields.
Though Russia has made minor advances in its broader attempt to recapture Kursk, Blyshchyk emphasised that “the frontlines in the region remain under control.” In August, Kyiv launched its surprise counteroffensive in Kursk, a key city in western Russia. The initiative, spearheaded by President Volodymyr Zelensky, was intended as a strategic leverage point in the conflict.
In addition to Monday’s losses, Ukrainian intelligence sources estimated that 1,770 Russian troops were killed on Sunday, reflecting ongoing heavy casualties for Russian forces.
Official death tolls remain unreported by both Russia and Ukraine.
However, British intelligence estimates that approximately 700,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the start of the war, now approaching its third year.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin of the British Armed Forces disclosed that Russia had experienced an average loss of 1,500 soldiers per day in October, marking the month as the deadliest for Moscow since the conflict began.
Despite these significant losses, Russian forces have continued to apply pressure along the frontlines and are making incremental territorial gains.
Kyiv had anticipated that the Kursk incursion might compel Russia to reallocate troops from the frontlines. However, Moscow has opted instead to deploy additional forces.
According to the New York Times, the Kremlin has assembled a force of 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops to respond to the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kursk.
This force is believed to include 11,000 North Korean soldiers who have been undergoing training in Russia in recent weeks. U.S. and NATO officials report that some North Korean troops have already been observed along the frontlines.
The influx of additional troops suggests that Moscow is prepared to sustain its military pressure as the conflict extends into another winter season.
