The war in Ukraine has now officially surpassed the length of World War I. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has lasted longer than the four years, three months, and 14 days (1,568 days) of the First World War.
And just like the muddy, static lines of 1914–1918, the fighting in Ukraine settled into a grueling war of attrition where soldiers from both sides operate from thousands of kilometers of trenches and bunkers. Maneuver warfare has virtually disappeared in the stalemated fighting.
Putin On June 18, 2023 Russian Federation Photo
During the first year of the war, artillery was king of the battlefield and caused more casualties than any other weapon system. Since then, the war has turned into a drone war, with both sides making strides, although at the present time, Ukraine has a distinct advantage.
World War I resulted in an estimated 20 million deaths and 21 million wounded, totaling 41 million casualties. This included approximately 9.7 million military deaths and between 6 and 13 million civilian deaths, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in human history.
World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in an estimated 70 to 85 million total fatalities. This staggering total includes roughly 21 to 25 million military deaths and 50 to 55 million civilian deaths, amounting to about 3 percent of the global population at the time.
Russia (later the Soviet Union) lost an estimated 27 million dead in the war, with 8 million soldiers and 19 million civilians who perished.
Russia’s Horrific Casualties In Ukraine
Russia’s “special military operation,” which was supposed to take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in a few days and the entire country in a few weeks, has turned into a meat grinder for Russia.
The Russian military has suffered over 1.37 million casualties, including more than 352,000 dead, including 1,190 casualties in just the last day, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The UK’s top electronic intelligence chief, Anne Keast-Butler, had the number of dead even higher, and said that “almost half a million Russian soldiers” have been killed since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Keast-Butler, who heads up GCHQ, said that a new Russian death toll estimate, which was higher than a recent estimate of 352,000, was calculated by the exiled media outlets Meduza and Mediazona.
President Donald J. Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025 (DoD photo by Benjamin Applebaum)
Russia’s casualties have forced them to use as many as 17,000 North Korean “volunteers,” but they have suffered high casualty rates as well, ranging between 4,000 and 6,000 total casualties, with an estimated 2,300 killed.
Russia’s Offensive Is Losing More Ground Than It Is Gaining
OSINT monitors report that Russian forces have been experiencing a net loss of controlled territory. In a single recent month, Russian troops captured or penetrated roughly 40 km² but lost control of about 280 km², reversing earlier gains.
Ukrainian forces have successfully carried out logistical disruption of Russian supply lines. Ukraine has used long-range drones and missiles to relentlessly target Russian oil refineries, air defenses, arms depots, and logistical nodes in occupied territories and Crimea. Strikes on key transport bridges have isolated supply lines.
Ukraine’s heavily expanded domestic drone program has crippled Russian supply chains, reducing Russian oil refining capacity and making troop movements far behind the front line highly vulnerable.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces recaptured more territory in May 2026 than Russian troops seized, marking the first month since Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive in which Russia recorded a negative net territorial balance.
The War Continues To Drag On
Many of those fighting could never have imagined the war would last this long. But the war has raged on, taking a terrible toll on both sides. Drones have forced soldiers to dig trenches and bunkers deep into the ground because they are so accurate that they can hit with near-pinpoint precision.
And it has made any advances terribly and painfully slow. The recent Russian offensive in Pokrovsk, an eastern Ukrainian city, averaged about 75 meters a day, at a horrible cost.
As one Ukrainian soldier aptly pointed out recently, the fighting in Ukraine is just like World War I, but fought with drones.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
