Vladimir Putin has lost more than 2,000 personnel in a single day in a gruesome illustration of his so-called “meatgrinder” strategy at work, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
Defence HQ’s latest bulletin focuses on Russia’s staggering losses, which they say hit a record high last month.
The statement, shared via X, says: “The average daily loss rate was 1,523, according to Ukrainian General Staff reporting.
“This is the third straight month that Russian Forces have sustained new war high average daily losses.
“November 28 also saw a new war high of 2,030 losses in a single day, the first time more than 2,000 have been reported.”
November was also likely to prove the most costly month of the war for Russia, with a total of 45,680 casualties reported by Ukrainian General Staff, the MoD claimed.
It continued: “41,980 Russian casualties were recorded in October 2024. November was the fifth straight month that Russian Forces have suffered an increase in monthly total losses.”
The high rate of casualties was “likely reflective of the higher tempo of Russian operations and offensives”, the statement stressed.
It explained: “Russia is attempting to increase the pressure on Ukrainian lines as they seek to push Ukrainian forces back on several fronts, including Kursk, Kupiansk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Velyka Novosilka.
Russia’s casualty rate would likely continue to average 1,000 a day in December 2024 despite the onset of winter, with “continued dismounted infantry attacks on multiple axes”, the MoD stressed.
The term “meatgrinder” strategy refers to a military tactic that involves overwhelming an opponent through attrition – causing massive casualties to the enemy over time while sustaining significant losses of one’s own.
In the context of Russia, this term has been used to describe certain approaches taken during its military operations, particularly in Ukraine.
