Putin Has Not Achieved Any Of His Strategic Goals In Ukraine Despite 700,000 Lost

In a stark assessment of Putin's military and diplomatic performance, Russia has not achieved a single one of its strategic objectives in Ukraine. 

And that, in fact, it's global influence has been weakened by the poor performance of its armed forces in an invasion once believed to be a walkover for Russia, leading to questions about the viability of his leadership. JL 

Zona Militar reports:

“Since 2022, Russia has suffered more than 700,000 casualties in Ukraine, more than Moscow has endured in all its conflicts since World War II combined. Russia's global stature and strategic position have continued to decline. And so Russia has paid a terrible price for this indefensible war. Yet Putin has not achieved a single one of his strategic objectives. Not one. Putin was so bogged down in Ukraine that, when the brutal dictator Assad in Syria collapsed after more than 50 years, all he could do was watch. Putin’s failure to save Assad’s regime is a stark warning to the few remaining countries that might align with the Kremlin.” 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III recently confirmed that the Russian Armed Forces have suffered over 700,000 casualties since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The U.S. official’s remarks were made during the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which took place yesterday at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Photo: DoD

Lloyd J. Austin III emphasized that the efficient and sustainable approach adopted by the member countries of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group has yielded evident results on the battlefield. “Since 2022, Russia has suffered more than 700,000 casualties in Ukraine. That is more than Moscow has endured in all its conflicts since World War II combined. Russian casualties in Ukraine now exceed two-thirds of the total strength of the Russian army at the start of Putin’s chosen war. In November 2024 alone, Russia lost nearly 1,500 soldiers per day,” said the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Faced with the relentless stream of casualties, “the Kremlin has been reduced to scouring Russian prisons and coercing contract soldiers. Moscow has even sent troops from North Korea to a war they should not be involved in. That is another clear sign of Putin’s desperation. North Korean forces have suffered over 1,000 casualties since they joined Putin’s war last December. And, of course, there are other estimates that are much higher than that,” Austin III added.

 

Regarding the presence of North Korean troops, President Volodymyr Zelensky recently detailed that Ukrainian estimates of casualties among the soldiers sent by Pyongyang’s regime are around 4,000. According to Ukrainian reports, the North Korean contingent began engaging in combat on the Kursk front, actions that ended disastrously for Kim Jong-un’s troops.

Despite the numerous human and material losses, Russia has managed to keep their advances in all fronts.

For the U.S. Secretary of Defense, the war in Ukraine has left the Kremlin more isolated, despite ongoing support from North Korea, Iran, Belarus, and even China. “Russia’s global stature and strategic position have continued to decline. And so Russia has paid a terrible price for this indefensible war. Yet Putin has not achieved a single one of his strategic objectives. Not one,” Austin III mentioned in his press conference at Ramstein Air Base. “In fact, Putin was so bogged down in Ukraine that, when the brutal dictatorship of (Bashar al-) Assad in Syria collapsed after more than 50 years, all he could do was watch. Russian troops had to scramble to extract equipment and personnel from Syria, which was once at the center of the Kremlin’s global ambitions. Putin’s failure to save Assad’s regime is a stark warning to the few remaining countries that might align with the Kremlin,” Austin warned.

New military aid package

Alongside the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Washington announced a new military aid package for Kyiv. Although initial reports suggested it would be a significant reinforcement, as it would be the last under Joe Biden’s administration, the new aid is valued at only USD 500 million.

M113 personnel carriers, part of the equipment delivered by the allies to Ukraine. Photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

The package includes AIM-7, RIM-7, and AIM-9M missiles for air defense, air-to-ground munitions, support equipment for F-16 AM/BM Fighting Falcon fighter jets, armored bridge systems, secure communications equipment, small arms and ammunition, as well as spare parts, auxiliary equipment, services, training, and transport.

The U.S. initiative was also accompanied by announcements from other allied countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada, Germany, Poland, among others. The assistance includes artillery ammunition, drones, armored vehicles, air defense systems, and more.