Russia Suffers More Than 40,000 Casualties on Ukraine Front for Second Straight Month

Russia suffered more than 40,000 military casualties on the Ukrainian front for a second consecutive month, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War. The institute estimated that 42,020 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in August, following 42,860 in July.

The losses came as Russia failed to meet its stated goal of capturing all of Donbas by autumn. In August, Russian forces once again lost more territory than they seized, with Ukrainian counterattacks costing them at least 129.8 square kilometers. The ISW said that figure may be an underestimate because its methodology does not fully reflect possible Ukrainian gains in the Lyman direction of Donetsk region.

Russian forces captured 90.35 square kilometers during the month, or potentially 123.53 square kilometers if advances by small infiltration groups are included. Russian military bloggers said only one or two soldiers out of every 10 in such groups survive and establish positions. Most of the captured land lay in Donetsk region, but Russian forces still had not fully taken the important Ukrainian stronghold of Kostiantynivka after months of fighting. ISW assessed that Russia controlled about 72% of the city.

The pace of the offensive has fallen several times over compared with August 2025, when Russian forces captured more than 505 square kilometers. ISW also said Russia lost more territory than it gained in April and May. President Vladimir Putin said in July that Russia had captured more than 3,000 square kilometers and 133 settlements in Ukraine since the start of the year. ISW’s figures at that point were 621.7 square kilometers and 64 settlements.

Russia is also struggling to replace its losses, according to the assessment. This year, it has failed to recruit more than 30,000 people a month, while the monthly total fell to 24,000 at the start of the year, said Janis Kluge of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, who bases his calculations on budget payments. The figures leave uncertainty over how long Russia can continue its offensive at the current pace without a new mobilization.