Putin seeks gradual victories in Ukraine despite heavy casualties - ISW

That’s according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank, Ukrinform reports.

"The high casualties in Russia's war in Ukraine are the direct result of Putin's determination to conquer all of Ukraine using horrific and costly tactics, and Putin can dramatically reduce this killing any time he chooses," the report says.

It is noted that Russian troops are conducting highly attritional, infantry-led assaults along the frontline that result in high losses but only return disproportionately limited territorial gains.

Analysts recall that in June 2024, Putin said Russia was unable to secure a rapid victory, so Russian forces are instead pursuing a more gradual victory. At the time, Putin said that Russian forces were trying to “squeeze” Ukrainian forces “out of those territories that should be under Russian control.”

“Putin is committed to gradual, creeping gains at the expense of high losses and likely believes that these limited gains can set conditions over time for Russia to demand more Ukrainian territory during future peace negotiations or allow him to conquer Ukraine entirely. Putin's desire to continue this deadly approach is driving the high loss rates on the battlefield,” analysts write.

The report notes that Russia is also conducting nightly drone and missile strikes against rear Ukranian areas that are killing civilians and destroying and damaging Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure – further increasing the death toll in the war in Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russia’s total combat casualties have reached an estimated 842,930.

The UK Ministry of Defense, citing intelligence data, reported early last month that Russia likely suffered more than 50,000 casualties since year-start, and more than 837,000 since the large-scale invasion in February 2022.