Russia Losing More Troops Than It Can Replace for Fifth Straight Month - Defense Minister

Key Points:

• Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported that Russia lost 35,203 troops killed or seriously wounded in April, marking the fifth consecutive month that Russian battlefield losses have exceeded its ability to mobilize new forces.
• Fedorov stated that all losses are confirmed through video evidence and that Ukraine aims to increase Russian casualties to around 50,000 per month to make further Russian advances unsustainable.
• The Ukrainian Defense Ministry uses a detailed verification system, including the Army of Drones bonus program and ePoints mechanism, to precisely account for Russian losses and assess the effectiveness of Ukrainian units and weapons.
• Fedorov noted that Russia continues to treat manpower as expendable but is showing signs of struggling to replenish its forces amid sustained Ukrainian resistance.
• Kyiv is also expanding its air defense capabilities, incorporating interceptor drones to bolster its defensive measures, though independent verification of casualty figures remains challenging.