Tusk: Ukraine’s losses are running at 27,000 troops a month amid Russia’s new tactics

Ukraine loses around 27,000 military personnel every month, either killed or wounded. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, citing information from Ukrainian partners, gave this estimate, attributing the rise in casualties to a change in Russian tactics and the widespread use of jet-powered drones, according to Polish Radio.

Speaking in the Polish Sejm on 17 September, Tusk stated that in recent months Russia had begun to deploy a new type of drone on a large scale. According to him, jet-powered drones are characterised by significantly higher speeds and can operate at high altitudes before striking a target.

The Polish Prime Minister noted that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Ukrainian side to counter this threat. Against this backdrop, according to information Warsaw has received from its Ukrainian partners, monthly casualties amount to approximately 27,000 killed and wounded servicemen. Tusk described this figure as the highest since the war began.

Russia is intensifying its strikes on infrastructure

According to Tusk, Moscow is seeking to strike not only military targets but also Ukraine’s economic and logistical infrastructure.

The Polish Prime Minister warned of a possible increase in the intensity of attacks on Ukrainian cities, warehouses and railway infrastructure. In his view, the aim of the Russian campaign is to cause serious problems with supplies and transport links as winter approaches.

Tusk also highlighted the risk that Russian missiles or drones could end up on NATO territory and cause damage. He said that, in such a case, Moscow might portray the incident as an accident.

Against the backdrop of the latest attacks, Poland is already stepping up security measures along its border with Ukraine. On 17 September, Tusk also announced that Poland had joined a coalition to develop a new missile defence system in collaboration with Ukraine and other partners.

Tusk does not expect a ceasefire any time soon

Separately, the Polish Prime Minister commented on the prospects for negotiations. He said that , according to information available to the Polish government, Russia is not interested in serious ceasefire negotiations until at least the end of winter. Tusk stated that Moscow intends to use the winter period to step up pressure on Ukraine, including through strikes on transport routes, border infrastructure and energy infrastructure.

Earlier, Reuters also reported that Russia had significantly increased its use of jet-powered drones, which reach speeds of over 400 km/h and are more difficult to intercept than slower models of previous types.