Ukraine War Sees Record Russian Troop Losses of 42,860 in July
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has suffered around 50,000 soldiers killed and 400,000 wounded in the Ukraine war, while claiming Russia has incurred 1.6 million total losses including about 700,000 deaths. [2] [4] Russian forces suffered a record 42,860 personnel losses in July 2026, the highest monthly total of the year, bringing the seven-month total to 238,650 according to Ukraine's General Staff. [2]
Ukrainian and Russian Casualty Figures
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has suffered around 50,000 soldiers killed and 400,000 wounded in the war, while claiming Russia has incurred 1.6 million total losses including about 700,000 deaths. [2] [4] Russian forces suffered a record 42,860 personnel losses in July 2026, the highest monthly total of the year, bringing the seven-month total to 238,650 according to Ukraine's General Staff. [2] Monthly dynamics of Russia's personnel losses in 2026 showed January at 31,710 service members, February at 26,090 service members, March at 31,960 service members, April at 32,980 service members, May at 33,760 service members, June at 39,290 service members and July at 42,860 service members. [2] The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that over the first seven months of 2026 as a whole, Russia's personnel losses totalled 238,650. [2] On 31 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a figure for Ukraine's losses in the war. [2] Russia has lost 1,470 soldiers killed and wounded over the past day according to the General Staff. [5] The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 1 August 2026 are estimated to be approximately 1,447,620 military personnel. [5]
Kazakhstan Calls for Freeze in Fighting
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to freeze the war in Ukraine and return to the format of the 2022 Istanbul peace talks. [1] Tokayev said during a meeting in Omsk that perhaps this conflict should already be frozen and return to the Istanbul format 2.0 because significant results were achieved there. [1] Tokayev referred to the peace negotiations held in Istanbul in spring 2022. [1] Tokayev said he does not want to act as a mediator because the great Russian people do not need mediators in handling their own affairs. [1] Putin listened to Tokayev's statements with a stiff face and said he would inform the Kazakh president about the situation in Ukraine during the discussions. [1] The Kremlin later announced that freezing the conflict is not an option. [1]
Ukrainian forces inflicted record 42860 Russian troop losses in July 2026. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Impact on Kazakhstan Oil Exports
Ukrainian strikes damaged Russian oil infrastructure at the Novorossiysk terminal, which has disrupted Kazakhstan's oil exports via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. [1] Over 80 percent of Kazakhstan's oil exports travel through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium pipeline to Novorossiysk on the Black Sea coast where it is loaded onto tankers. [1] When Tokayev met Putin in Siberia, the Russian Novorossiysk terminal was closed due to Ukrainian strikes. [1] Kazakhstan had to reduce oil production by more than half because it has no storage capacity. [1] On Monday Kazakhstan announced that the oil pipeline resumed operations after a week-long interruption, but uncertainty continues. [1] On Thursday it emerged that oil loading at the Novorossiysk terminal was interrupted again. [1] Kazakhstan produces about two percent of the world's daily oil supplies. [1]
Ukrainian Strikes on Russian and Occupied Territory
Ukrainian strikes damaged Russian oil infrastructure, a grain export terminal in Taman, an aircraft factory in occupied Yevpatoria in Crimea, and other military and logistical sites. [3] [4] The Security Service of Ukraine together with the Defence Forces carried out another successful attack on Russian military, logistical and oil infrastructure. [4] In temporarily occupied Yevpatoria two hangars for storing aviation equipment and a production workshop of the Yevpatoria Aviation Plant were hit. [4] The infrastructure of the port of Taman was hit where a large-scale fire was recorded. [4] Ukrainian drones carried out an attack on a grain export terminal in the Russian port of Taman. [4]
Former defence minister Fedorov pledges not to oppose Zelenskyy until war ends. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Russian Attacks and Air Defense Claims
Russia conducted mass strikes on Ukrainian military airfields, logistics centers, and a drone storage facility in Kharkiv region, while continuing attacks on port infrastructure in Odesa used by Ukrainian forces. [4] The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that massive strikes were carried out on military airfields, logistics and telecommunications centers in Kyiv, Lviv and several other Ukrainian regions, as well as on a drone storage facility in the Kharkiv region. [4] Russian forces continued strikes with high-precision weapons on port infrastructure in Ukraine used for the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces. [4] In Odesa fuel and lubricant storage tanks intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed. [4] South of Odesa a ship carrying military cargo to one of the Ukrainian ports was destroyed. [4] Russian air defenses claimed interception of over 370 Ukrainian drones in one night with 371 Ukrainian drones shot down over several Russian regions, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. [4]
Domestic Ukrainian Political Developments
Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov pledged not to oppose Zelenskyy politically during the war and attributed high Russian losses partly to Ukrainian drones, which he said now account for about 95 percent of Russian troop casualties on the front. [3] [4] Mykhailo Fedorov said he will not become a political opponent of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the war but will return to the government only if he is reinstated as minister of defence. [3] Fedorov said he does not see his dismissal as a political struggle and does not want the situation to artificially drag him into politics. [3] He said he will not meet participants in protests demanding his return as minister. [3] During his time in office the share of drones and other technological weapons in the procurement budget rose from 60 percent to 90 percent. [3] Fedorov claimed that drones now inflict about 95 percent of Russian troop losses on the front. [3] Fedorov said he believes the war is moving towards the robotisation of the front line and that in the future autonomous drones controlled by artificial intelligence will fight each other. [3]
What to watch next: Tokayev's appeal to return to the Istanbul talks format remains on the table while uncertainty over Novorossiysk terminal operations continues to affect Kazakhstan's oil shipments. [1]
