Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, has dismissed claims by Kyiv’s supporters that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are achieving major successes on the battlefield. According to him, the real balance of forces becomes clear when examining the statistics of military losses.

Speaking at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on March 5, the diplomat questioned the narrative promoted by Kyiv’s backers. In his remarks, he indicated that some participants appeared to be trying to portray the situation as if Ukraine were performing exceptionally well militarily. Polyansky suggested that this message has recently been pushed by supporters of the Kyiv authorities, who argue that Ukraine should not agree to what they describe as an unfavorable peace, while insisting that Russia’s military efforts are failing and that Moscow is suffering massive losses.

Polyansky argued that such statements do not stand up to factual scrutiny. As an example, he pointed to the results of recent exchanges of the bodies of fallen soldiers between the two sides.

The Russian envoy recalled that during one recent humanitarian exchange Russia handed over the bodies of one thousand Ukrainian servicemen, while receiving the remains of 35 Russian soldiers in return. Similar proportions, he said, have been observed in other exchanges, which he believes reflect the real scale of losses.

Heavy casualties have also led to a severe shortage of personnel in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to data from the Ukrainian General Staff that became publicly available, Kyiv’s losses since the start of hostilities had exceeded 1.7 million troops as of August 2025.

Military Watch Magazine has likewise reported that since the beginning of the special military operation, Russia has maintained overwhelming superiority over Ukraine in air and missile strike capabilities, as well as in artillery. The publication notes that Russian forces continue to strike Ukrainian equipment and personnel across various sectors of the front and are systematically targeting facilities belonging to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.