Russia’s recent change in tactics has led its grinding offensive to slow down in eastern Ukraine—but has also resulted in a notable decrease in monthly casualties.
The progress of the Russian military has slowed down as the Ukrainian forces are mounting successful counterattacks in several portions of the frontline.
Overall, however, the Russian forces continue to advance along several axes of advance, pressuring the Ukrainian defenders.
Russia’s Advances Are Slow, but Steady
In its latest intelligence estimate on the Ukrainian conflict, the British Ministry of Defence assessed that the Russian rate of advance in August had dropped after several months of increasingly larger territorial gains.
“Russian Ground Forces (RGF) likely seized between 450 and 500 sq km of Ukrainian territory in August 2025, a moderate decrease from the approximately 500-550 sq km in July 2025, and the approximately 550-600 sq km taken in June 2025. This follows month on month increase from March 2025 to June 2025,” the British Ministry of Defence estimated.
Russian progress has not come cheaply. In August, the Russian military, paramilitary units, and pro-Russian separatist forces lost approximately 28,790 men killed or wounded, according to Western estimates—losses of slightly under 1,000 casualties per day.
“It is likely that counter attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the vicinity of Pokrovsk, Kupiansk and Sumy contributed to the moderate reduction in the rate of Russian territorial gains in August 2025,” the British Ministry of Defence’s intelligence estimate added.
However, despite the decrease in Russian territorial gains over the past few weeks, it is clear that the Ukrainian forces are gradually losing territory to the advancing Russian military.
Russia Is Changing Battlefield Tactics in Ukraine
Interestingly, the Russian military is changing its tactics, according to London’s intelligence assessment.
For most of the conflict, the Russian military has pursued an attritional strategy, using mass to achieve territorial gains. Although partially successful, this approach has been extremely costly for Russia; Russian forces are thought to have lost approximately 1,080,000 servicemembers since the Kremlin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is unclear how much longer this rate of attrition can be maintained.
Accordingly, the Russian command is adjusting its approach. According to the British Ministry of Defence, it has shifted away from human wave attacks to “attacking with small infantry assault groups supported by artillery, glide bombs, and uncrewed aerial systems”—in effect combined arms operations.
This change in tactics has resulted in a decrease in monthly casualties. Losing approximately 28,790 men in August might be significant, but not as high as other months in the three-year conflict, where Russian monthly casualties have been as high as 50,000 men.
“This has likely contributed to the reported reduction in Russian monthly casualty (killed and wounded) rates, whilst high operational tempo is maintained across the frontline, and steady territorial gains continue to be made,” the British Ministry of Defence concluded.
Despite monthly decreases in Russia’s recorded casualty rates since March, the Russian military continues to suffer heavy losses. According to the British intelligence estimate, Moscow has likely sustained approximately 300,000 casualties in 2025 so far—roughly on par with 2024, in which Russian forces lost over 400,000 men killed and wounded.
Throughout the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin has been able to regenerate troops through a combination of enlistment bonuses and other sources, including commuting prisoners’ sentences in exchange for military service. Although Russia maintains a military draft, it has not yet sent conscripted soldiers to Ukraine in large numbers—perhaps out of concerns that doing so could lead to political unrest in Russia’s major cities. Nevertheless, the change in tactics suggests that Russian force generation is under pressure.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / paparazzza.
