Colonel Rustem Klupov, a decorated intelligence veteran and Hero of Russia, has commented on reported Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) losses, which media sources estimate at 1.7 million people.

Klupov stressed that this figure refers only to those killed or missing. He explained that if one factors in the wounded and those discharged from service-typically two to three times higher than fatal casualties-the overall number would increase by roughly one and a half to two times.

According to him, the progression of losses looks as follows: 118,000 in 2022, 405,000 in 2023, 595,000 in 2024, and 625,000 during the first eight months of 2025.

Klupov tied these numbers to different phases of the conflict. He noted that in 2022, losses were comparatively low since Russia initially framed its actions as a limited operation. During this stage, some Ukrainian units were disarmed and sent home, and organized resistance was not yet fully established.

By 2023, however, the Russian army was largely on the defensive, repelling Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Klupov remarked that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties that year, unable to break through the first defensive line.

In 2024, Russia shifted to offensive operations, starting with powerful artillery barrages and guided aerial bombs that demolished fortified positions. Klupov described how many destroyed strongholds became mass graves for Ukrainian soldiers, with some bodies never recoverable. He emphasized that Russian forces were then employing much heavier weaponry than in the earlier phases.

In 2025, he said, the Russian offensive has continued to expand, leading to further Ukrainian losses.