The New York Times reports that on average, the occupiers lost more than 1,000 people killed and wounded every day.
British intelligence estimates May as the bloodiest month in all 27 months of the war, with losses of about 1,200 people a day. Thus, total losses for the month may have amounted to between 31,000 and 37,000 troops.
Despite the huge losses, Russia continues to replenish its army, recruiting 25,000 to 30,000 men every month. This allows the commanders to continue the tactic of "meat assaults" without worrying about maintaining the number of troops.
However, the effectiveness of such tactics is decreasing. While earlier it brought results in capturing Bakhmut and Avdeevka, in May the offensive in Kharkiv Oblast stalled after initial successes. Ukrainian and U.S. military officials note that the mass use of drones, cluster munitions, and the AFU's shift to defensive tactics have significantly reduced the effectiveness of Russian attacks.
It is noteworthy that Russian troops have begun to use light vehicles - motorcycles, quad bikes, and open vehicles such as buggies - more frequently. According to analyst Andrew Perpetua, 182 such vehicles were destroyed, damaged, or abandoned in May, a significant increase over previous months.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized in an interview with the NYT: "President Putin and Moscow tried very hard to make great strides, to break through the front lines this spring. They tried and failed. They have made very small gains and are paying a very high price for it."
