Today marks three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, at around 3:40 AM, the first column of Russian tanks entered the Luhansk region, and Ukraine was struck by the first enemy missiles.
Over three years of war, Ukraine has inflicted significant losses on Russia in manpower, weaponry, and military equipment.
- Total estimated Russian casualties: 868,230 personnel
- Destroyed Russian military assets:
- 10,177 tanks
- 21,157 armored fighting vehicles
- 23,626 artillery systems
- 1,299 MLRS
- 1,081 air defense systems
- 370 aircraft, 331 helicopters
- 26,645 UAVs
- 3,064 cruise missiles
- 28 ships, 1 submarine
- 38,444 vehicles and fuel tanks
- 3,757 special equipment units
Notably, in August 2024, Ukraine’s Defense Forces launched an operation in Russia’s Kursk region, where an estimated 11,000 Russian troops, mostly conscripts, were stationed. At its peak, Ukraine controlled 1,300 square kilometers in the region. As of February 14, 2025, total Russian losses in Kursk exceeded 48,000 personnel, with around 20,000 killed.
At the same time, Russian forces occupy approximately 99% of Luhansk, 66% of Donetsk, and 73% of both Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, according to ISW.
Ukraine has suffered immense losses:
- 46,000+ Ukrainian soldiers killed, tens of thousands missing, and 380,000 wounded, per President Zelensky.
- 599 children killed, 1,762 injured, and 19,546 forcibly deported to Russia, with over 1,000 returned.
- Ukraine has repatriated 7,017 fallen defenders and brought home 4,131 prisoners of war through 61 exchanges.
To mark this grim anniversary, leaders of Ukraine’s partner nations are visiting Kyiv. European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected, along with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Ukrainian officials, including Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, will discuss security cooperation, tougher sanctions against Russia, and Ukraine’s EU integration with a delegation from the European Commission.
