Ukraine Army Successfully Eliminated 740 Russian Soldiers On Valentine's Day

Russia lost 740 more military personnel in its invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian military announced on Valentine's Day.

A total of 139,080 Russian combat losses have been recorded since the conflict began nearly a year ago, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated in its most recent casualty report released Tuesday.

Russian army casualties in the war numbered 138,340 in a report from the previous day.

In addition to personnel, Russia has also lost 3,286 tanks, 6,500 armored fighting vehicles and 2,299 artillery systems, among other pieces of military equipment, according to the updated data provided by Ukraine's military

Russia has started a new major offensive that Western and Ukrainian officials previously warned would occur in Ukraine's east and south, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said.

"We see how they are sending in more troops, more weapons, more capabilities, to try to pressure the Ukrainians," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Monday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Ukraine must be provided with more weapons that can bolster its defenses and help the country stage its own attacks to retake lost territory, he said.

"The faster we can deliver weapons, ammunition, spare parts, fuel to the Ukrainian front, the more lives we save," Stoltenberg said.

NATO defense ministers met Tuesday in Brussels, Belgium, and discussed new arms provisions for Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The alliance and the United States have pledged that Western support will not falter in the face of Russia's new offensive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who requested fighter jets when he was in Brussels last week, warned that Russia was in a hurry to achieve as much as it could with its latest offensive before his country and its allies could gather strength.

"That is why speed is of the essence. Speed in everything - adopting decisions, carrying out decisions, shipping supplies, training. Speed saves people's lives, speed brings back security," the Ukrainian head of state said in a national address.

Ukrainian forces are expected to conduct their own offensive in the spring, according to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Ukraine's allies were working to ensure Ukrainians have enough armor and firepower as well as the logistics to make the campaign effective, the U.S. official said.