In January, the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted some of the heaviest losses on the Russian army in recent months: the Russian army lost over 31,700 personnel, roughly equivalent to the strength of nearly three divisions.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during January, Ukrainian forces destroyed or damaged 137 tanks, equivalent to more than four tank battalions. This is the highest monthly figure since May 2025, when 138 tanks were put out of action.
The Russian forces also suffered significant losses in artillery: Ukrainian troops “eliminated” 1,099 artillery systems, corresponding to over 60 artillery battalions. This is the highest figure in the past five months.
Additionally, Ukrainian forces struck 45 multiple-launch rocket systems, 24 air defense systems, and 4,021 vehicles. The last time the Russian army lost more vehicles in a single month was in April 2025, when 4,104 units were destroyed.
At the same time, overall Russian losses in armored vehicles in January 2026, as throughout 2025, are no longer as massive as in 2023–2024, when the Russian forces were losing 300–500 armored vehicles per month. The reason is a significant depletion of armored vehicle and artillery reserves, and Russia no longer has the capacity to replace the huge losses of many types of military equipment.
Before the full-scale invasion, Russia was among the world leaders in terms of the number of tanks and artillery in reserve. However, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have methodically destroyed a significant portion of these reserves. Analysis of current statistics indicates that for certain types of weapons and military equipment, the Russian army is approaching a critical shortage.
