South Front
Click to see full-size image. Source: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office.
Russia has lost ten times less troops than the Ukrainian military that is carrying out a counteroffensive, President of Russia Vladimir Putin revealed during a meeting with military reporters on June 13, according to TASS.
Ukraine launched its counteroffensive on June 4. Since then, its forces have made very few gains in the Zaporozhye and south Donetsk directions.
Putin told reports that the Ukrainian military sustained “an unfavorable structure of casualties” during its attempts to advance.
“Of all the casualties, and they are close to the estimate that can be called catastrophic in terms of the personnel, the structure of their losses is unfavorable because casualties can be sanitary and irretrievable. Normally, irretrievable losses amount to 25% or maximally 30%. However, they [the Ukrainian military] have an almost 50/50 ratio,” he said.
It is understandable that the defending party sustains less casualties, the Russian president pointed out, referring to the Russian military.
“But still, this 1 to 10 ratio is in our favor, so to speak: we have ten times less losses than the Ukrainian armed forces … They have lost over 160 tanks and more than 360 armored vehicles of various types over this time [the period of the counteroffensive],” Putin said.
The Russian president noted that these are only the observed losses. According to him, more equipment was destroyed in strikes with long-range precision weapons on gatherings of Kiev forces.
“I would say that 25-30% of the equipment that had been supplied has already been destroyed,” the president said.
Putin declined to speak about Russia’s personnel casualties, referring the issue to the Russian Defense Ministry. However, he said that “[the Ukrainian military] have lost over 160 tanks while we have lost 54 tanks and some of them can be repaired.
The Russian President added that American-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks “burn nicely,” just as Russia has expected.
“They burn nicely, as we expected, be it Bradleys or Leopards, yes,” the Russian leader said. “Ammunition detonates inside, and pieces fly off in different directions.”
Video footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defense in the first week of the Ukrainian counteroffensive did show dozens of destroyed Western equipment, including a number of Bradleys and Leopard 2s.
Putin then went on to praise the performance of the Russian T-90M Proryv, describing it as the best main battle tank in the world.
“Modern anti-tank warfare systems are needed. Modern tanks are also needed. It can be said today that the T-90M Proryv is the world’s best tank. As soon as it approaches positions, no chance is left for anyone or anything. It fires to a longer range and more accurately. It also has better protection,” he said.
The Russian president also praised the Kornet anti-tank guided missile system. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that production should increase.
“When we began this conversation, we mentioned that the offensive unfolded in two directions, and several tanks had been destroyed by the aviation. Helicopters are very effective,” Putin said. “Several armored vehicles and a tank were destroyed by the infantry using anti-tank weapons. Kornets work ideally, but we need more of them, and this will be done.”
In addition, Putin revealed that Russian troops in the special military operation zone are still in need of more precision-guided munitions, communication equipment and drones.
“Of course, in the course of the special military operation, it became clear that many things were lacking. These are precision-guided munitions, communications equipment, UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles]. Yes, drones. We have them. Unfortunately, we do not have enough of them,” the Russian president said.
Putin noted that during attack attempts by the Ukrainian military, Russian forces had destroyed several Ukrainian tanks, in particular by using suicide drones.
The Russian military uses drones very effectively. “Probably much more effective than the means that the enemy has,” he added.
“But they are not enough. There are not enough Orlans [drones]. The quality of these Orlans needs to be improved. They do their job though,” Putin explained.
According to the Russian president, Russian troops need, among other things, “means of counter-battery warfare – both larger and smaller, more effective.” “Although these big ones of ours are quite effective. But there are few of them and it is more difficult to work with them,” he said.
Putin also revealed that Russia improved the quality and quantity of its weapons after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine.
“[The number of our weapons] is growing. The quality is growing and the quality is improving. The characteristics are better: range, accuracy. If there hadn’t been a special military operation, we probably would never have understood how to fine-tune our defense industry in order to show our army was the best in the world, but we did it,” he said.
The Russian president went on to say that the Ukrainian military industrial complex “does not produce a damn thing” and will soon cease to exist.
“What are the Armed Forces of Ukraine fighting with? Do they [the Ukrainian military-industrial complex] produce Leopards or Bradley? Or even F-16 [fighters] that have not yet entered service? They don’t produce a damn thing. The Ukrainian military-industrial complex will soon cease to exist altogether. What do they produce? They received munitions, equipment, weaponry – they brought everything. You can’t live like that for long, you won’t last,” he explained.
Furthermore, Putin revealed to the military reports plans to beef up Russia’s existing satellite constellation in the near future.
“We are making adjustments now; just recently we launched a satellite, we will be increasing our constellation,” Putin said, adding that. “Russia is ranked fifth in the world in terms of its satellite constellation.”
Putin also stressed that veterans of the special military operation should be moved up the career ladder in the Russian military, the law enforcement agencies and the special services.
Addressing the political side, the Russian president said that Moscow had never rejected talks that could lead to a peace settlement. However, he added that the goals of the special military operation won’t change in essence, despite being amended in response to the current state of affairs.
Putin’s remarks indicate that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has so far failed not only in changing the situation on the battlefield, but also to change Russia’s stance on the conflict.
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