Fighting slows on the front, but airstrikes rise – Defense ministry
Photo: The Ministry of Defense analyzed the situation at the front in February (Getty Images)
In February, the number of combat engagements on the front line decreased. However, enemy airstrikes on Ukrainian positions increased over the past month, according to the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
In February, 3,274 combat engagements were recorded, compared to 5,087 in January. Meanwhile, Russian tactical aviation dropped more than 3,522 guided aerial bombs (KABs) in February, up from approximately 2,400 in January.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian forces suffered significant losses last month, with 36,570 personnel either killed or wounded — equivalent to the size of three motorized rifle divisions.
Additionally, Ukrainian defenders destroyed or damaged:
- 1,415 enemy artillery systems — enough to equip over 78 artillery battalions (each consisting of 18 guns in the Russian army).
- 331 enemy tanks — roughly the equivalent of 10 Russian tank battalions (each with 31 tanks).
- 596 enemy armored fighting vehicles — enough to supply nearly three Russian motorized rifle divisions.
February also saw Ukrainian forces inflict the highest number of vehicle losses on Russian troops since the full-scale invasion began, destroying or disabling 3,472 enemy transport vehicles and fuel tankers.
Russian losses on the front
Since the start of the full-scale war, Russia has lost more than 875,000 soldiers. In the past 24 hours alone, Ukrainian forces eliminated 1,050 Russian troops.
According to the Ministry of Defense, last year marked a record for Russian losses, both in personnel and military equipment. In 2023, Russian losses exceeded 400,000 troops.
The highest number of casualties occurred in December 2024, when 48,670 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded.
