The military leadership of Ukraine claims that, in December, drone attacks caused losses among Russian troops comparable to or even greater than the number of soldiers Moscow managed to mobilize during the same period. The statement was made by Oleksandr Sîrski, the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, and is reported by TVP World publication.
According to Sîrski, over 33,000 Russian soldiers were “neutralized” in December, a number that only includes cases confirmed by video recordings. The Ukrainian official specified that the actual losses would be greater and that the figure is comparable to estimates of Russia’s monthly recruitments, evaluated at 30,000–35,000 military personnel.
What the Ukrainian data and media estimates indicate
According to Ukrainian military statistics quoted by Kyiv Post, Russia’s total losses in December – from all causes – would have reached approximately 35,050 casualties, including dead and wounded.
Ukrainian officials claim that drones are responsible, on average, for 25–50% of Russia’s personnel and equipment losses, and in some recent operations, this proportion would have risen to 90%. These figures cannot be independently verified and reflect the assessments of the Ukrainian side.
What independent sources say
External estimates offer a different picture of the magnitude of the losses. Icelandic researcher Ragnar Guðmundsson estimates Russia’s total personnel losses in 2025 at over 416,000, of which approximately 110,000 are dead.
A separate analysis conducted by independent Russian media Mediazona indicates a 40% increase in confirmed deaths among Russian military personnel compared to the previous year, reaching about 156,000 documented cases. Mediazona’s methodology is based on public sources and obituaries, which means that the data only reflects confirmed cases.
The Kremlin’s position
Russian authorities consistently reject Ukrainian and Western estimates of personnel losses, labeling them as exaggerated. However, Moscow does not publish detailed and regular data on the number of casualties, which makes a complete independent verification difficult.
What can be said with certainty
Although the exact size of Russian losses remains disputed, there is a growing consensus that drones play a central role in the war in Ukraine, changing the pace of battles and the cost-effectiveness on the battlefield.
The claim that losses caused by drones exceed Russia’s recruitment capacity reflects the assessment of the Ukrainian military leadership, but remains, in the absence of complete independent data, a contested conclusion.
