Ukraine's resilience: 1,000 days of thwarting Russian advances
Although the Russians planned to capture Kyiv within a maximum of 72 hours, they have been engaged in battles in Ukraine for 1,000 days, and the main frontline is far to the east of the Ukrainian capital. The effects of the defenders’ army, supported by the West, can be seen almost every turn. Ukraine has become a graveyard of Russian armoured equipment, drones, and remnants of missiles shot down by anti-aircraft systems.
While discussing Russia as the world's second-largest army is often ironic, it still holds this title in terms of the number of soldiers and available equipment. This is confirmed by the Global Firepower 2024 ranking, where Russia is second only to the USA, and by the ongoing war. Although Ukraine only has its native soldiers, it can rely on massive NATO support in armament.
Russian losses in Ukraine: the numbers are clear
Despite this, the Russians have been able to occupy about 20 percent of Ukraine's territory (a country with an area of over 595,000 square kilometres), which they continuously occupy. They systematically carry out assaults in the hope of further conquests and shell infrastructure and cities across almost all of Ukraine. However, this has consequences, most clearly shown by the data on Russian losses incurred during the 1,000 days of war in Ukraine.
The numbers vary depending on the source. Worth highlighting are the reports from the creators of the Oryx blog, who document Russian equipment losses. They only account for Russian units whose destruction, damage, or capture by Ukrainians has been registered in photos or recordings from the front.
It is worth noting that the Russians have already lost 28 warships and submarines, rendering their Black Sea Fleet "functionally inactive." They have also reduced their tally by over 3,500 tanks, machines that have long been symbols of the power of any army. Although the war in Ukraine has shown that the modern battlefield requires the use of once-unknown solutions (e.g., advanced electronic warfare systems or drones), tanks still play an essential role.
The Kremlin has not hesitated to send its most valuable T-90 family tanks to the front. These include the latest T-90M models equipped with 125 mm 2A46M-5 cannons, an upgraded fire control system, and Relikt modular reactive armour. Vladimir Putin says they are "the best tanks in the world." The estimated value of each is about CAD 4.5 million. Thus, the statistics showing that Ukrainians have already eliminated over 100 such tanks can be even more painful for him.
Growing problems and increasing support from allies
The Russian economy was switched to war mode and had long managed well with army equipment supplies and the effects of Western sanctions. However, over the months, problems with producing new tanks and refurbishing older units from storage began to appear - supplies of equipment suitable for the front were slowly running out. This applies not only to tanks but also to armoured combat vehicles and even artillery, which seemed inexhaustible in Russia before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
The effects? Russian soldiers increasingly have to use decades-old equipment that has almost no combat value on the modern battlefield.
This includes T-62 tanks from the 1960s and even older T-55s. These constructions not only lack guns with appropriate power but also thermal imaging and other systems that provide situational awareness for the crew. Additionally, their armour cannot guarantee protection against enemy armoured weapons or drones.
The fact that Russian resources are not inexhaustible is also evidenced by the growing importance of the Kremlin's allies. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, it has closely cooperated with Iran, from which it acquired, among others, Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones. It also systematically tightened ties with North Korea. Initially, this involved supplies of various types of ammunition. Over time, Kim Jong Un decided to support Putin's army with ballistic missiles and, recently, with heavy military equipment in the form of M1989 "Koksan" artillery systems.
Their transfer to Russia was significantly remarked upon by defence analyst Jarosław Wolski, who stated that it is the best proof that Russia isn’t a bottomless pit and is starting to experience a resource crisis. Concerns arise from the technical condition of this North Korean equipment and the fact that it uses an unusual calibre, meaning the Russians will have to rely on missile supplies from Pyongyang. The risk was taken, likely because Ukrainians have already eliminated over 850 Russian self-propelled artillery systems.
Ukrainians received the green light they had long awaited
President Joe Biden's administration has allowed Ukraine to use American weapons to attack targets deep within Russia. Until now, it could only be used to neutralize targets in territories occupied by the Russians.
This concerns ATACMS ballistic missiles with a range of about 300 kilometres, which can be a major problem for Russian aviation, as it has already been heavily "bitten" by Ukrainians - nearly 300 enemy aircraft and helicopters have been eliminated. Among them were two A-50 AWACS (early warning) planes considered the eyes of Russian aviation. The cost of each such machine is about CAD 450 million, but most daunting for the Russians, they have only a few of them, and quickly replacing them is impossible.
While less advanced equipment can be sought in storage or from allies, production and service introduction require enormous resources and years of work for such complex aircraft. For the same reasons, Ukrainians particularly celebrate hits on Ka-52 Alligator helicopters, S-400 anti-aircraft systems, warships, and submarines. Sinking the missile cruiser "Moskva," which, at the time of the Ukrainian attack, served as the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, will forever remain one of the most significant events of the war in Ukraine.
