UK MOD: Russia's Ukraine war losses hit a new December high, with record daily casualties. December was likely Moscow's costliest month.
The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence indicated on Tuesday that Russian wartime losses in Ukraine had reached new daily peak levels for a continuous period of five months.
According to the UK's Defense Ministry, December marked the fifth successive month in which Russian losses in Ukraine surpassed previous records for average daily highs.
The ministry conveyed in an intelligence update that the average daily number of Russian casualties attained a new monthly high for the war during December 2024. It was stated that the average daily loss rate was 1,570, marking the fifth consecutive month wherein Russian Forces had experienced new war high average daily losses.
The ministry noted that Russia experienced its highest single-day loss in the conflict on December 19, reporting that 2,200 of its personnel were either injured or killed on that particular day.
Referencing figures reported by Ukraine, the ministry suggested that December was "likely the most costly month of the war for Russia," with a total of 48,670 individuals either killed or wounded.
The ministry further indicated that December represented the sixth consecutive month in which Russia had seen an increase in its monthly losses.
It was not specified whether these figures incorporated losses sustained by North Korean troops, of whom Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had mentioned in a recent interview that 3,800 had been killed or wounded.
Over the preceding year, the British ministry has consistently asserted that Russia has been increasingly experiencing substantial losses due to its reliance on large-scale infantry assaults intended to weaken Ukraine's defensive positions.
Ukrainian brigades, which report being sometimes outnumbered by a ratio of one to five and frequently lacking sufficient equipment, have progressively ceded approximately 1,600 square miles of territory during 2024.
However, this sustained offensive has incurred significant costs for Russia, with the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War estimating that Moscow had lost around 40 troops for each square mile it had gained.
The UK Defense Ministry further added in its Tuesday update that Russian monthly losses would probably continue to deteriorate as the Kremlin engages in combat across multiple fronts, frequently deploying infantry on foot to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
This strategy, while yielding limited gains, has amplified the perception that the trajectory of the war increasingly depends on the respective capacities of Ukraine and Russia to sustain their resources on the battlefield.
Questions presently surround American aid to Kyiv, particularly with President-elect Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for a prompt resolution to the conflict, scheduled to assume office on January 20.
Nevertheless, a primary concern for both belligerents is also the availability of manpower. Ukraine has faced challenges in replenishing its forces as the war persists, shifting its approach in 2024 towards a system of establishing new brigades, which has subsequently drawn criticism, instead of reinforcing existing units.
Conversely, Russia has maintained a strategy of widespread recruitment by offering substantial financial incentives to new enlistees. In December, it announced a significant allocation of $126 billion, representing approximately 32.5% of its federal budget for 2025, towards defense expenditures.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not provide a response to a request for comment submitted by Business Insider outside of standard business hours.