As the Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds on into its third year, Russia’s military has suffered staggering losses. Yet, even as tanks burn and casualty counts reach the hundreds of thousands, Russia continues to pour troops into the meatgrinder.
“Since 2022, Russia has suffered more than 700,000 casualties in Ukraine,” former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in January. “Now, that’s more than Moscow has endured in all of its conflicts since World War II — combined. Russian casualties in Ukraine now surpass two-thirds of the total strength of the Russian military at the start of Putin’s war of choice. In November 2024 alone, Russia lost nearly 1,500 troops a day.”
In this week’s video, Thom Tran, an Army veteran and stand-up comedian, walks viewers through the story behind those numbers, whether Russia’s military is truly crippled, or if its “quantity over quality” approach to manning and equipment suggests that it can keep going.
Each week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, Task & Purpose will be bringing in military veterans to host segments on different topics. These videos will range from breakdowns of tactics and doctrine to explainers on new tech and weapons systems from a rank-and-file perspective.
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