In six months, Ukraine has destroyed $16.6 billion worth of Russian military equipment – Forbes

WEDNESDAY, 24 AUGUST 2022, 14:56 - DANA HORDIICHUK

Equipment of the invaders on Khreshchatyk, which was destroyed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the occasion of Independence Day

During the six months of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russians lost 12,142 vehicles and equipment worth US$16.56 billion [without missiles]. The Moskva cruiser, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, became the biggest loss of the occupiers so far.

This is mentioned in the Forbes Ukraine assessment.

The biggest loss of the occupiers is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the US$750 million missile cruiser Moskva, sunk by Ukraine’s Neptune missiles in mid-April. The second most expensive loss of the Russians was a large Il-76 strategic airlifter worth US$86 million, which was shot down by an anti-aircraft defence system in the skies over Vasylkiv in Kyiv region in late February. 

The third most expensive was Saratov, the US$75 million large landing ship. The Ukrainian army hit the ship while it was in the port of occupied Berdiansk, where it was delivering military equipment. 

In addition to the Moskva cruiser, Ukrainian forces destroyed Russian equipment and ships worth US$165 million in total, while fighting for Zmiinyi (Snake) Island and the surrounding waters. The list includes eight surface-to-air missile systems of various kinds, such as Tor, Pantsir and Strela types worth more than US$100 million in total.

Over the course of six months, Ukrainian forces sank 15 Russian ships worth US$82 million.

The destruction of Russian aircraft continues, too. In total, Russia lost 234 aircraft worth US$5.3 billion; this became the most significant part (32.1%) in the total losses of the Russian army.

The explosions at the Saky military airfield in Crimea on 9 August, which Kyiv did not officially claim any responsibility for, simultaneously destroyed nine Russian military aircraft. This became the largest loss of Russian aviation over 24 hours since World War II.

Among the destroyed aircraft are Su-30SM fighter jets and Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft that are worth approximately US$230 million combined. There was also a large Il-76 cargo plane at the airfield, but it probably managed to fly away before the explosions occurred. 

Forbes did not include in the estimate of losses the value of the missiles that Russia fired at Ukraine or the ones that were shot down, because it is difficult to calculate their exact number. 

The occupiers suffered the greatest losses in the first week of the aggression; within that period, Ukraine destroyed US$2.2 billion worth of enemy equipment. 

Forbes emphasises that the huge level of losses of the Russian army during the first five weeks shows that the retreat from Kyiv, Chernihiv and the northern front in general was not a "regrouping" or a "gesture of goodwill", but an alternative option to avoid defeat.

The cost of destroyed equipment decreases over time due to the exhaustion of the Russian army and the reduction of areas of the front where the offensive is being conducted.

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