Fedorov said Ukraine’s strategic aim is to push Russian losses to a level where “further advances become unsustainable.”
by Kyiv Post
May 5, 2026
Russia lost 35,203 troops killed or seriously wounded in April, marking the fifth consecutive month its battlefield losses have exceeded its ability to mobilize new forces, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Tuesday. “All losses are confirmed on video,” Fedorov said in a telegram statement with an attached video. “For the fifth month in a row, Russia is losing more than it can mobilize and is gradually choking on its losses. We are steadily moving toward the figure of 50,000 eliminated occupiers per month.”
Fedorov said Ukraine’s strategic aim is to push Russian losses to a level where “further advances become unsustainable.”
Shortly after his appointment in January, Fedorov identified one of Ukraine’s key strategic wartime goals as inflicting up to 50,000 Russian casualties per month.
Speaking during an off-the-record meeting with journalists, he said Ukrainian Defense Forces eliminated about 35,000 Russian troops last month, with all losses verified through video evidence. “The strategic goal is to kill 50,000 Russians per month. If we reach this figure, we will see what happens to the enemy,” Fedorov said.
According to the minister, Russia continues to treat manpower as expendable, but there are growing signs it is struggling to replenish its losses.
Fedorov said the Defense Ministry relies on detailed, verified data gathered through the Army of Drones bonus system. A key component of this system is the so-called ePoints mechanism, which enables precise accounting of Russian losses.
The Ukrainian president said long-range cruise missiles hit defense industry targets more than 1,500 km inside Russia. “This gives us a clear understanding of which units and weapons are most effective, the depth of damage inflicted, and the enemy’s daily losses,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fedorov said that Kyiv is expanding its air defense capabilities, with a growing role for interceptor drones.
Kyiv Post cannot independently verify all claims, and battlefield casualty figures from both sides remain difficult to confirm.