Russia Suffered Record Losses in March, Says Zelensky

In March 2023, Russia sustained its highest monthly losses since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, amounting to more than 35,000 casualties, including both dead and wounded, according to a statement made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 3.

Zelensky highlighted in his social media post, "Russian losses in this March reached the highest level since the start of the war." He further elaborated that, "as a result of our drone strikes, 33,988 Russian servicemen were killed or seriously wounded, while artillery and other strikes eliminated an additional 1,363 Russian occupiers."

"This means that in just one month, Russia lost over 35,000 military personnel — and these are clearly confirmed losses," the president emphasized.

This announcement came amid an intensification of Russian forces' offensive on the southeastern front with the arrival of spring, as warmer weather creates more favorable conditions for active combat operations.

Zelensky also reported that Ukraine possesses video evidence for each of the over 35,000 Russian soldiers reported as either killed or wounded. "We have clear and verified data on every front and across all categories of losses. We are ready to provide the relevant data to our partners," Zelensky stated following a meeting with Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

The president underscored the units that have proven particularly "effective" in the war through the use of drones, including the Special Operations Center "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine, the unit "Ptaszki Madyara," the special border guard unit "Phoenix," the Lazarus group, and the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade.

Speaking to reporters on April 3, Zelensky also noted that according to British intelligence, the current situation on the battlefield is the most favorable for Ukraine in the past ten months.

Ukraine began its counteroffensive in late January in the Oleksandrivka sector, located in the southeast where the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions converge.

Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Ukrainian forces have regained control over more than 450 square kilometers of territory over the course of more than two months of operations.

However, Ukraine's achievements on the front have also faced criticism from activists due to significant losses, which they claim are caused by allegedly reckless attacks.

Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst from the Finnish company Black Bird Group, expressed doubts regarding further Ukrainian offensives, noting that "the statement about approximately 400 square kilometers has been repeated many times over the past few weeks."

"It seems that the momentum has been lost. And it really does not appear that the Ukrainians have made significant progress, apart from what was achieved in February and early March," Kastehelmi added.

However, the analyst pointed out that in the gray zones where fighting continues, it is difficult to determine who actually controls the territory. "It might be safer to say that the Russians also do not fully control this territory, even if it has at least partially been in their rear, just as it was more than two months ago," he remarked.