Russian forces have again launched airstrikes on Ukraine, which the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Zaluzhny, said that the airstrikes included 59 missiles of various types and a large number of suicide drones. Of particular note is that four of the "Dagger" hypersonic missiles were launched by MiG-31 fighters, and each MiG-31 can only carry one "Dagger", and this time a total of four MiG-31s were involved in the air strike. The Ukrainian air defense forces successfully intercepted 18 missiles and 8 drones, but compared with the past, the interception data this time is obviously not optimistic. This shows that Ukraine is facing a serious military challenge. On January 9, TASS reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu disclosed some key data.
According to him, over the past year, the Ukrainian army has lost 2150,000 soldiers and 2.80,000 pieces**. Shoigu said that the Russian armed forces will continue to maintain the strategic initiative and unswervingly achieve the goals of the special military operation in Ukraine. About whether the Ukrainian army really lost 2150,000 people, more evidence is needed to support it, but it is certain that the Ukrainian army has suffered huge losses over the past year, otherwise a new round of conscription would not have been launched again. The Kyiv authorities plan to conscript another 500,000 soldiers and ask foreign countries to help "catch the strong" and repatriate Ukrainians who meet the age requirement for conscription. In the conflict, which lasted almost two years, the Russian army also paid a heavy price.
According to data released by the Ukrainian side, from February 24, 2022 to December 1, 2023, the Russian army lost 330,000 people, 5,564 tanks, 10,399 armored vehicles, 7,931 artillery systems, 912 multiple rocket launchers, 602 air defense systems and 323 aircraft. In any case, these figures reflect the brutality of the war and the heavy cost paid by both sides. In the early days of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Russian army invested more than 120 battalion-sized battle groups with a total strength of 12-150,000 troops. During the offensive, the Russian army was frequently attacked by portable anti-tank missiles of the Ukrainian army, which led to the loss of a large number of personnel and tank armored vehicles. Subsequently, the Russian army carried out a partial mobilization, and about 300,000 mobilized soldiers went to the battlefield in Ukraine.
At this time, the Ukrainian army has obtained a large number of artillery, drones, armored vehicles and other equipment from the West, and has launched many large-scale **, which has caused the Russian army to suffer a lot of losses. In order to replenish its forces, the Russian army carried out two more mobilizations. The entire conflict shows that both sides are making great sacrifices, and the continuation of the conflict is putting heavy pressure on both sides. The population of Russia is about 1400 million, while Ukraine's pre-war population was about 40 million. It is a fact beyond doubt that the Ukrainian army is doomed to defeat in the absence of NATO troops. Even if Russia ultimately emerges victorious, it will have to pay a huge price. Therefore, on the one hand, Putin insists on achieving the goals of the special military operation, and on the other hand, he actively sends signals for peace talks, hoping to end the conflict as soon as possible.
For Russia, continuing to get bogged down in the battlefield in Ukraine will greatly deplete Russia's national and military strength, making it increasingly unable to effectively respond to NATO's provocations.