The full scale Russian invasion in the Russo-Ukrainian War will hit its two year mark in a month. Whilst the conflict has lost much of the front page in the media, its devastation has not slowed.
Since the invasion BBC Russia has been able to confirm a minimum of 41,731 Russian soldiers killed, as of January 12, 2024. The most conservative estimates put the total casualties of Russian and pro-Russian forces at around 321,000. The Defense Express stated on December 15, 2023 that they believed that the total number of dead was around half a million. It should be noted that the report was very pro-Ukrainian, and most analysts put the total number of killed and wounded below the half a million mark.
Whilst no Ukrainian casualties have been officially confirmed in months, it can be said that they have sustained thousands of losses. The US government proposed that the total number killed is around 70,000, and the number wounded is 100,000-120,000 as of August, 2023. The Russian government has stated that they believed the Ukrainians had around 383,000 casualties as of December 19, 2023. The war has also caused over 10,000 civilian deaths and wounded over 17,000, as reported by the last official UN reporting.
Despite the high number of casualties reported for both sides, there seems to be no end insight. The recent Ukrainian offencive has, of now, failed in most of its objectives and seems to have lost momentum. The Russians are now putting more pressure north of Donetsk city, specifically around Avdiivka. This operation seems to be also moving slowly, which seems to be the overall experience now in Ukraine.
Much of the front line looks like it came straight from WWI. Towns, villages, and the surrounding life have in some place, been turned into a patchwork of craters. Those who once lived in them had died in the shelling, or left before the arrival of Russian forces.
Some worry has been given in Ukraine, as once supportive countries, now seem to be slowing down in their aid. This accompanied with the stalling in the offencive, are not a grand look for Ukrainian determination. It also doesn’t help that, at least here in the states, the war seems to have been overshadowed by the crises in the Middle East.
Therefore this year is predicted to see a change in the state of the war. One which is not looking very good for the Ukrainians who are fighting for their very existence. There is hope though that soon the cost of the war will see the undemocratic regime of Russia collapse. In the end we can only speculate and hope that perhaps some level headed minds will bring this war to an end.
