Defense minister reveals Ukraine's strategic goal: 50,000 Russian losses each month
Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov (t.me/zedigital)
One of Ukraine’s strategic goals in the war is to inflict losses on Russia at the level of 50,000 troops per month. Ukraine has already come close to reaching this figure, said Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov during a meeting with the media.
Strategic goal
Fedorov said that last month, Ukraine’s Defense Forces eliminated 35,000 Russian troops. All these losses have been confirmed by video evidence.
"The strategic goal is to kill 50,000 Russians per month. If we reach this figure, we will see what happens to the enemy," the minister said.
He added that Russia treats people as a disposable resource, but problems with replenishing manpower are already becoming evident.
Western advisers and battlefield experience
In shaping its military strategy, Ukraine works with international analytical centers such as CSIS, RAND, and the UK-based RUSI, while also actively involving military personnel with real combat experience.
In addition, the Defense Ministry has its own combat unit that takes part in fighting, allowing decisions to be made based on the real situation on the battlefield rather than on reports.
Battlefield data and the "math of war"
Fedorov noted that the Defense Ministry has detailed and verified data on enemy losses thanks to the Army of Drones.Bonus system, which has become a key tool for tracking strikes.
According to him, Ukraine clearly understands:
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Which units and types of weapons are the most effective;
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The depth at which strikes are carried out;
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How much manpower and equipment is destroyed daily.
"We know the war from the battlefield, not from offices. But war is not only about combat, it is also about management, logistics, supply chains, and cognitive warfare," he said.
Drones, interceptors, and defense innovation
Fedorov recalled that Ukraine was the first to launch large-scale real-time R&D, particularly on drone interceptors. As early as this month, 40,000 interceptors will be delivered to the military.
Key achievements also include:
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The launch of the Brave1 platform, the largest angel investor in Ukrainian defense tech;
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Opening markets for drones, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition;
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Creating a marketplace for defense solutions;
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Large-scale work with Starlink.
Making the war unbearable for Russia
The minister stressed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a clear task: to make the cost of the war unbearable for Russia. This includes stopping the enemy in the air and on the ground, strengthening asymmetric and cyber strikes, and increasing pressure on the Russian economy.
"Diplomats are working on their own track, but in parallel we must do our part," Fedorov concluded.
Russian losses
Recently, British intelligence released new data on the scale of Russian military losses in the war against Ukraine, showing a sharp increase in casualties amid Russia’s intensified offensives in late 2025.
According to the latest data from Ukraine’s General Staff, Russia has lost an estimated 1,228,570 personnel since the start of the full-scale invasion.