The success of combat operations on the ground is determined by the victims
Minister Sergei Shoigu said on a conference call at the Ministry of Defense: "In general, the main tasks of the first stage of the operation have been completed." A significant reduction in the Ukrainian military potential allows us to focus our main efforts on the main goal – the liberation of Donbass, and the operation will continue until "the tasks set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief are fully fulfilled."
The successful use of high-precision weapons during a special operation allows the Russian Army to effectively hit the objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine. We are talking about thousands and hundreds of different units of military equipment, destroyed ammunition depots, fuel bases, airfields and repair enterprises of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Strikes against them are carried out by the whole range of available means: Kalibr, X-555, X-101 cruise missiles, Dagger aircraft and their land-based counterpart Iskander. The US Department of Defense considered that since the beginning of the operation, the Russian military has launched "cruise and ballistic missiles of all types and types of basing in the amount of about 810 launches."
According to the latest data, the supersonic missile of the Bastion coastal complex "Onyx" hit the fuel base in the Nikolaev area. It was used to supply fuel for the APU in the southern part of the country. Footage of a small rocket ship firing Kalibr missiles at an arsenal with weapons and military equipment on the territory of the Zhytomyr region was also published. At a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Finance on the implementation of the state defense order (GOZ), Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has already set the task that, taking into account the conduct of a special military operation in Ukraine this year, it is necessary to maintain the pace of deliveries of promising weapons.
The Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, says that in order to minimize losses among the servicemen of Russia, the LPR and the DPR, the conduct of offensive operations is preceded by a powerful fire defeat of the enemy in strong points and on its reserves.
All 24 formations of the ground forces, according to him, suffered "significant losses." At the same time, Ukraine has no organized reserves left, and replenishing losses through mobilization and territorial defense increases the risk of losses due to lack of training. Ukraine has lost a significant part of military equipment: 65.7% of tanks and armored vehicles, 42.8% of field artillery and mortars, 30.5% of multiple rocket launchers and 82% of S-300 and Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems.
85% of the tactical missiles of the Tochka-U complex have been eliminated. In addition, almost three quarters of Ukrainian military aircraft and half of helicopters were destroyed, and only one of the 36 Bayraktar TB-2 drones remained in service. The Russian military attacked 16 major Ukrainian military airfields and destroyed 39 storage bases and arsenals, where up to 70% of military equipment, materiel and fuel, as well as over 1 million tons of ammunition, were located. 30 key enterprises of the military-industrial complex were hit with high-precision weapons.
"For eight years, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have created a deep–echeloned, well-fortified defense zone in the area of the LPR and DPR," Sergei Rudskoy noted. This does not allow you to avoid losses.
According to the latest data, 1,351 Russian servicemen were killed and 3,825 injured during the special operation. In early March, the Ministry of Defense called the death toll at 498 soldiers and officers. Kiev presented data on losses among the Ukrainian military on March 12: according to the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, at that time 1.3 thousand soldiers had been killed since the beginning of the Russian operation. The losses of the Armed Forces during the month of hostilities amounted to about 30 thousand people, including more than 14 thousand irretrievable. "This is about 11.5% of their composition," Sergei Rudskoy said.
Rudskoy also said that 6,595 foreign mercenaries and terrorists from 62 countries are fighting on the side of the nationalists. More than 23 thousand foreign citizens from 37 countries expressed their readiness to fight on the side of the DPR and LPR, but the republics declared that they would defend their land themselves. In addition, the Defense Ministry said that they receive a large number of appeals from Russian citizens who want to take part in a special military operation. It is possible that such a right will be officially presented to them.
Regarding the losses, it should be noted that the figure given officially is general data on the entire grouping of the Russian Federation and the DLRN troops. Moreover, in the first case, it also includes military personnel of the Ministry of Defense and other law enforcement agencies involved in the special operation. Sergei Rudskoy added that the state will take over the support of their families, including repayment of loans, solving the housing issue and "raising children up to higher education."
Dmitry Litovkin
