‘Low quality troops, high casualties’: 99 Russian soldiers die for every kilometre gained in Ukraine and Putin doesn’t seem to care
World: So far in 2025, Russia has lost an average of 99 soldiers for every square kilometre of land gained. This is a sharp rise compared to 59 casualties per kilometre during the last four months of 2024.
Russia is pushing large numbers of troops into battle, but their progress in Ukraine is slowing sharply due to extremely high losses, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The Washington-based think tank says President Vladimir Putin appears to be ignoring these growing losses in his push for more territorial control to pressure Ukraine in ceasefire negotiations.
So far in 2025, Russia has lost an average of 99 soldiers for every square kilometre of land gained. This is a sharp rise compared to 59 casualties per kilometre during the last four months of 2024.
Putin's aim to pressure Ukraine despite peace efforts
The ISW says the scale of Russia’s troop deployment shows that Putin is still focused on taking full control of Ukraine and undermining NATO, regardless of international peace efforts. This includes those led by the United States and former President Donald Trump, who has recently pushed for a peace deal.
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Although Trump signed a minerals deal with Ukraine this week, the U.S. has warned it could walk away from the negotiation process if progress isn't made soon.
Ukraine holding the line with drone power
Despite Russia’s aggressive push, Ukrainian forces are holding strong. The ISW’s assessment emphasises that Kyiv’s defences remain intact, partly due to their effective use of drone technology.
The cost of war: Russia’s losses in numbers
According to Ukraine’s data cited by the ISW, Russia has gained around 1,627 square kilometres of land in 2025, including areas in Ukraine and Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine launched an incursion in August last year. However, these gains have come at the cost of 160,600 Russian troop casualties, averaging 99 per square kilometre.
In comparison, between September and December 2024, Russia captured 2,949 square kilometres but lost 174,935 soldiers, about 59 casualties per kilometre.
Low-quality troops hindering Russian operations
The think tank said these figures reflect how Russia is now relying on “low quality” soldiers, which has made complex battlefield operations more difficult and slower. Despite this, Putin is continuing his efforts, hoping to use any progress to force Ukraine into making concessions during negotiations and increase internal pressure on Kyiv.
The ISW believes these challenges also give the United States a chance to use Russia’s weaknesses to its own advantage in future talks.
Washington cools expectations as war drags on
US Vice President JD Vance recently told Fox News that the war is unlikely to end soon. The ISW says this may indicate that the Trump administration is pulling back from its recent push to broker a peace deal.
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Meanwhile, CNN reported that senior US officials remain doubtful that Putin has softened his stance. Even if a deal is struck, many fear he may simply use it as an opportunity to regroup and launch further attacks on Ukrainian territory.
