780 More Russian Soldiers Died In Ukraine On Wednesday; 77,950 In Total

Russia lost 780 soldiers, 15 tanks and 12 armored fighting vehicles (AFV) between Tuesday and Wednesday as its total number of casualties in the invasion of Ukraine approached 78,000, data provided by the Ukrainian military showed.

Russia has suffered 77,950 combat losses among its personnel since the conflict began in late February, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its most recent casualty report released Wednesday.

Losses within the same period also included 2,801 tanks and 5,666 AFVs, among other pieces of military equipment.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's previous casualty report released Tuesday stated that Russia had lost 77,170 personnel, 2,786 tanks and 5,654 AFVs at the time.

This figure Ukraine gave is much higher than the one Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated on Sept. 21, when he said 5,937 Russian soldiers had died in the invasion of Ukraine by that point.

Independent Russian media outlet iStories, citing unnamed sources from Russia's special services and the country's Federal Security Service, reported nearly a month later on Oct. 12 that the nation had already suffered more than 90,000 casualties.

Russia reportedly was able to successfully call up 300,000 reservists following Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of troop mobilization in September.

However, Russia has been funneling newly drafted conscripts with little training to the front line in Ukraine's east, causing heavy casualties, the Ukrainian military and Western analysts claimed.

Anger in Russia has reportedly been growing as more coffins return from Ukraine, bringing home the remains of coscripts.

Russia's losses have prompted public outcry and criticism of military commanders from surviving soldiers and family members of recently mobilized fighters, who claimed their units were led to slaughter in poorly planned operations.

Amid these losses, Russian forces have been ordered to pull out of Kherson in south Ukraine, dealing a significant blow to Russia as it faces a Ukrainian counteroffensive, the BBC reported.

The city, which is the only regional capital that Russia was able to capture since it invaded Ukraine, could no longer be supplied, according to Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the commander of all Russian forces in Ukraine.

"In these circumstances, the most sensible option is to organize the defense along a barrier line along the river Dnipro," Surovikin announced on Russian state television.

Ukraine's government was moving "very carefully" in response to Russia's withdrawal from Kherson, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"The enemy does not give us gifts, does not make 'goodwill gestures,'" Zelensky said during an address Wednesday night.