Russia Loses 860,000 Troops and Thousands of Tanks but Maintains Pressure on Ukraine, Says UK Intelligence

In a report released on February 24, UK defense intelligence assessed the state of the Russian army in the third year of its full-scale war, highlighting that despite heavy losses, Russian forces continue their assaults by prioritizing quantity over quality.

“Russia’s personnel casualties of over 860,000 killed and wounded have undermined Russia’s force quality,” the UK intelligence reported. “Most personnel currently serving in the Russian military have received minimal training, and Russian commanders use basic tactics to make advances, despite the associated high casualty rates.”

According to intelligence data, Russia lost at least 3,750 battle tanks and 8,400 armored vehicles.

Russia has lost at least 3,750 main battle tanks and 8,400 armored vehicles. At the same time, despite the costs imposed on Russian troops, Russia continued to pressure the Ukrainian army.

“Russian territorial advances in Ukraine accelerated through 2024, although have slowed in early 2025,” the report reads. “Continued attacks have been underpinned by the Russian leadership’s tolerance for casualties, and Russia’s land forces' quantitative overmatch relative to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

On February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that ending Russia’s invasion must begin with steps that would help restore trust in the process, “because there is no trust in Russia.” Zelenskyy suggested that a key step could be the release of all Ukrainian prisoners held by Moscow.