Key facts

• Maj. Gen. Oleh Apostol said Russia has lost more than 40,000 troops killed or seriously wounded each month in recent months.
• NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said early reporting indicates October losses may have exceeded 50,000.
• Neither Ukraine nor Russia publishes exact military losses.
• Apostol estimated Ukrainian forces retook more than 800 square kilometers this year in two local counteroffensive operations.

Maj. Gen. Oleh Apostol, commander of Ukraine's Air Assault Forces, said heavy Russian losses have contributed to Moscow's slowing advance in Ukraine, speaking to journalists at a secure location on November 10, 2026.

Apostol said Russian forces have lost more than 40,000 troops killed or seriously wounded each month in recent months. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said early reporting for October indicated the figure may have climbed to over 50,000.

Neither Ukraine nor Russia publishes exact military losses. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, estimated in the summer that Russian forces had suffered about 1.4 million casualties from the start of the full-scale invasion through June 2026, including 400,000 to 450,000 fatalities. It estimated Ukrainian casualties at 525,000 to 625,000, including 125,000 to 150,000 fatalities.

Apostol estimated Ukrainian forces had retaken more than 800 square kilometers this year in two local counteroffensive operations. He said Ukraine favors localized attacks rather than a large counteroffensive because of limited manpower.