Ukraine Says Russian Losses Exceed 83,000 Killed Since Start of 2026 as Moscow Scrambles for New Troops

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskii, has declared that Russian forces are running out of troops to conduct offensive operations. According to Syrskii, Ukraine has regained the tactical initiative, with Ukrainian attacks on Russian positions now outnumbering Russian offensives against Ukrainian positions.

“Since the start of 2026, total enemy losses have exceeded 141,500, of which more than 83,000 are irrecoverable losses,” Syrskii wrote on his Telegram channel.

Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service asserts that Russia cannot compensate for losses exceeding 1,000 men per day. This year, Russia is recruiting at a pace of 800 to 930 soldiers daily, leading to a net decrease in frontline strength. To counter this, 40 Russian regions have increased contract signing bonuses by 30 to 100 percent.

In an effort to bolster the military, Russian President Vladimir Putin has simplified naturalization procedures for Russian speakers in Moldova's Transnistria region. “Russia is looking for new soldiers this way,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that he has received intelligence indicating Russia is attempting to mobilize an additional 100,000 troops. “We believe that at present, the potential for covert mobilization in Russia is insufficient,” he added.

On the economic front, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service reports that Russia recorded a deficit of $78.4 billion in the first four months of the year, against a projected annual budget deficit of $50.5 billion. “Oil has dealt the main blow. Hydrocarbon revenues fell by 38.3 percent,” the agency said.

Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes against Russian oil refineries and export terminals this year. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said these attacks forced Russia to cut production by 460,000 barrels per day (bpd) in April 2026 compared to April 2025. Reuters estimates “Ukrainian drone strikes have disabled about 700,000 bpd of refining capacity from January to May at 16 refineries, some hit multiple times, compared with eight refineries in the same period of 2025.” The affected facilities account for a quarter of Russia's refining capacity.

On May 17, Ukraine struck a series of military-industrial targets within a 100-kilometer radius of Moscow, reportedly in response to major Russian attacks on Kyiv on May 13 and 14 that killed 52 people. Targets included the Angstrem semiconductor plant, the Solnechnogorsk oil pumping station, and the Moscow Oil Refinery. “Ukraine's long-range punitive measures have reached the Moscow region, and we are making it clear to the Russians: their state must end this war,” Zelensky said.

Ukraine also warned Belarus of consequences should it enter the war. According to Zelensky, Russia has pressured Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to open a new front, with plans for a simultaneous attack from the Bryansk region toward Chernihiv. “We know there have been additional contacts between the Russians and Alexander Lukashenko aimed at persuading him to participate in Russia's new offensive operations,” Zelensky stated on May 15. He declared that Ukraine's northern border is being reinforced and that Ukraine has “specific capabilities to respond.”

Russia has involved Belarus in a joint nuclear exercise this week involving 64,000 personnel, over 200 missile launchers, 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships, and 13 submarines. President Putin said the two countries would launch ballistic and cruise missiles as part of the exercise. Russia deployed its new Oreshnik tactical nuclear missile in Belarus last year and has threatened to strike European weapons and military production facilities with this missile.