HUR publishes intercepted Russian call about massive losses in Ukraine

“In the intercepted call, a resident of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast discusses the massive losses of occupying troops in the criminal war against Ukraine,” Ukraine’s HUR intelligence agency commented on the published recording.

One of the men mentioned learning that “they buried Vanya’s neighbor today.” His conversation partner acknowledged the scale of losses, adding, “A lot of guys are dying. Probably over 20 men have already been buried.”

Another chilling detail emerged when one of the men stated, “A mutual acquaintance told me—56,000 unidentified in Rostov.”

HUR emphasized that justice will be served for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people.

On Dec. 27, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian forces lost approximately 1,650 soldiers, killed or wounded, in the past day. Since the full-scale invasion began, total Russian losses have reached about 782,510 personnel.

Russian losses in Ukraine

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), during Russia’s intense offensives in September, October, and November 2024, its forces suffered around 125,800 casualties—killed and wounded—while capturing 2,356 square kilometers of territory.

The UK’s Defense Ministry, citing intelligence, reported that in November 2024, Russia’s average daily losses in Ukraine reached a new monthly high of 1,523 personnel.

On Dec. 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia’s total casualties exceeded 750,000, including 198,000 killed and more than 550,000 wounded.

On Dec. 13, Russian journalists confirmed by name the deaths of 83,338 Russian soldiers since the start of the full-scale invasion. The highest confirmed losses were reported in Bashkortostan, with 3,487 dead, 40% of whom had volunteered for the front lines.