(KYIV) – Ukraine said Russian military losses exceeded recruitment for a second consecutive month in January, as Ukrainian drone operations intensified across the front line and in occupied territories.
According to Ukrainian commanders, Russian forces lost about 8,600 more troops than they recruited during the month. Officials said Ukraine’s unmanned systems carried out an average of three combat sorties per minute.
The commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces reported around 30,000 verified Russian casualties in January, compared with an estimated 20,000 to 22,000 new recruits. He described the negative balance as a minimum objective, adding that the longer term target was to reach 50,000 Russian casualties per month.
He said Ukraine could eventually reach a level at which 50,000 Russian soldiers are killed or critically wounded each month and argued that this projection was based on operational data rather than exaggeration.
Ukrainian officials said that launching three drones per minute would amount to about 133,000 sorties in January, based on a 31 day month. They added that the actual number was likely higher.
The commanders said Ukraine plans to produce up to seven million drones this year, suggesting that the current rate of operations will continue to increase. They said the volume of launches indicates that Ukraine is already deploying more than three drones per minute on average.
The military said video footage released daily shows dozens of successful strikes on Russian positions, vehicles, and supply routes. These compilations, officials said, reflect sustained pressure on Russian forces.
Ukrainian commanders acknowledged that many drones are intercepted, shot down, or fail because of technical problems. However, they said the campaign relies on scale, arguing that higher production and launch rates increase the number of successful strikes.
They said Russian troops in occupied territories are regularly losing vehicles, quad bikes, equipment, and supplies, as well as personnel, as a result of drone attacks.
The military also described cases in which Ukrainian drones detected Russian drones on the ground and prioritised them as targets. Officials said destroying such equipment can help protect Ukrainian soldiers and supply vehicles from further attacks.
The campaign forms part of a broader effort by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to weaken Russian operations and reduce Moscow’s ability to sustain its war.
Ukraine has said the sustained use of unmanned systems is intended to offset Russia’s numerical advantage and limit the effectiveness of its mobilisation efforts.
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