Rising costs of conflict: Russia's dwindling military strength
Russia lacks the resources for effective warfare. As military veteran Yevhen Dykyi noted, the Russian Federation's successes in 2025 are incomparable to this year's losses.
According to information provided by the Ukrainian agency Unian, Russia does not have sufficient human or technical resources to conduct effective warfare. However, Yevhen Dykyi, former commander of the "Aidar" battalion, notes that this does not mean that the army cannot be ordered to launch an offensive.
Losses incomparably greater compared to successes
Dykyi emphasizes that the Russian forces' successes last year were disproportionate to their losses. Russian troops captured less territory than in previous years, and their losses have been greater. Russia's military situation is poor and may worsen further.
- From the point of view of causing harm to our army, the successes of the Russians this year are absolutely incomparable, absolutely inadequate to their losses - Dykyi believes. - Over the last year, they have captured less territory than in any previous year of the war. And their losses are greater than in any previous year of the great war - he added.
Dykyi notes that for Putin, even a temporary suspension of warfare is unacceptable, even though it could bring military benefits.
Putin seeks ultimate victory, which means he will continue the offensive even if his army is unable to achieve success. Dykyi adds that Russia is paying an increasingly high price for every metre of territory captured.
Dykyi expresses doubts about the ability of the Russian armed forces to carry out offensive orders. The lack of human and technical resources makes effective warfare unlikely.
Russian losses in the war with Ukraine
It's important to remember that according to the latest calculations, in the first quarter of 2025, Ukrainian armed forces destroyed 9,971 vehicles belonging to the Russian army. For comparison, in the same period of 2024, the number of destroyed vehicles was 3,422.
The Ukrainians do not disclose which vehicles are most frequently destroyed, but in the context of tanks, social media often shows footage of the destruction of the latest models, such as the T-90M Proryv.
The T-90M Proryv tank is one of the most technologically advanced vehicles in the Russian arsenal. Equipped with a modern 125 mm 2A46M-5 gun and an upgraded Kalina fire control system, it is an important element of Russian military strength. Additional protection is provided by the Relikt reactive armour, which shields both the turret and the hull. Two machine guns complement the tank's armament with calibres of approximately 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm.
