Vladimir Putin‘s regime has resorted to a grim tactic – dubbed “meat wave assaults” – that have resulted in September becoming the deadliest month for Russia‘s Army since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Last month, Moscow saw its average casualty rate in Ukraine rise to 1,271 soldiers killed or badly injured per day, British military intelligence said yesterday (Monday, October 7).
It’s the fifth consecutive month that saw Russian casualties average more than 1,000 soldiers per day.
Russia also suffered high casualties attempting to repel Ukraine’s ongoing incursion into the Kursk region.
However, the soaring losses have been blamed on multiple factors – including its brutal mass infantry tactics.
Analysts say these tactics include “meat wave” assaults. This is where large numbers of troops are sent to swarm Ukrainian defensive positions.
However, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Putin is likely to stick with these tactics – because they appear to be working, for now. Russia has been making steady gains in eastern Ukraine Over the past 14 months – but this has come at a high cost.
Russia has now lost nearly 650,000 soldiers since its invasion in February 2022, said the MoD. Its casualties averaged between 172 and 559 per day in 2022, then peaked at 967 in 2023.
The MoD said: “The increase in the casualty rate since May 2024 is almost certainly due to the extension of the combat zone to include both Kharkiv and Kursk military operations and increased intensity along the frontline. Russian forces will highly likely continue to attempt to stretch Ukrainian forces by utilising mass to overwhelm defensive positions.”
John Foreman, Britain’s former defence attache in Moscow, also expects Russia to continue using “meat wave assaults”. He told The Telegraph he expects Russia will to keep on grinding forward, probing for weakness.
Foreman described the situation as “very grim”. He said he does note expect Russia to “pause” over the winter.
Back in May, Russia launched a surprise invasion of the Kharkiv region from its Belgorod region. Last week, Russia captured the town of Vuhledar – which has largely been reduced to rubble.
The town had once been considered a fortress had never before been captured. It has been called the most significant battlefield victory since Putin’s army took control of Avdiivka back in February
Analysts are now warning that the Kremlin will use what’s left of the town as a staging post for assaults on other Ukrainian strongholds to the west.