Russia records over 50,000 personnel losses in September, NATO official says
A NATO source said Russian forces suffered more than 50,000 personnel losses in September, including about 28,000 killed.
A NATO official briefed Bloomberg that Russian troops incurred over 50,000 personnel losses in September, of which around 28,000 were killed on the battlefield. Ukraine's General Staff provided a comparable figure of 46,230 total losses for the month, without specifying how many were fatal. Ukrainian Armed Forces suffered approximately 5,000 casualties in September.
Since January, Russian losses have risen from 31,710 to 46,230, an increase of nearly 46 percent. Ukraine has stated that inflicting heavy losses is a strategic goal, echoing a January remark by then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov about targeting 50,000 Russian casualties per month. President Volodymyr Zelensky previously claimed that Russia has lost more than 1.5 million troops killed or wounded since the invasion began in February 2022.
Why it matters
The reported surge in Russian casualties highlights the escalating human cost of the Ukraine conflict.
How this story developed
- Sep 3 Ukraine reports heavy Russian personnel and equipment losses in ongoing war
- Sep 17 The Senate approved the bill with an 86‑11 vote last month.
- Sep 19 President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law.
- Sep 26 At the UN General Assembly, Sergej Lavrov declared that the threat to Russian security will be eliminated and that peaceful life will return, while accusing Europe of blocking peace talks.
- Sep 26 President Trump publicly urged Ukraine to negotiate a settlement with Russia.
- Sep 27 German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held a bilateral meeting with Sergej Lavrov at the United Nations, the first such talks at this level since the conflict began.
- Sep 28 Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly urged Lavrov to end the war during a UN Security Council debate.
- Sep 29 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Belgium will send three U.S.-made F-16 jets to Ukraine by the end of 2026.
- Oct 1 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has deployed its home-grown FP-7 tactical ballistic missile against Russia, but declined to reveal the target.
- Oct 5 President Zelensky announced the missile's first combat use via Telegram.
- Oct 7 Norway's 2027 defence budget sets aside 85 billion kroner for Ukraine, boosting the Nansen Support Program to a total of 344 billion kroner.
- Oct 8 Ukraine’s General Staff released an updated casualty figure of 1,545,950 Russian personnel losses.
- Oct 10 Belgium announced the delivery of three F‑16 jets to Ukraine.
- Oct 11 EU approval of a €1.24 billion transfer to Ukraine’s defence industry.
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