Russia suffers worst month for casualties; Russian strikes kill six in southern Ukraine

An average of around 1,500 Russian solders were killed or injured per day in October, UK Chief of the Defence Staff Tony Radakin told the BBC.

Russia does not reveal the number of its war dead, but Radakin said last month's toll was the heaviest since Moscow launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.

"Russia is about to suffer 700,000 people killed or wounded -- the enormous pain and suffering that the Russian nation is having to bear because of (President Vladimir) Putin's ambition," he added.

The armed forces chief acknowledged that Russia was territorial making gains, but said the losses were "for tiny increments of land".

He said the Russian government was spending more than 40 per cent of public expenditure on defence and security, putting "an enormous strain" on the state.

The UK has been one of Ukraine's strongest backers in its fight against Russian aggression, providing Kyiv with billions of pounds in military aid, as well as weapons and troop training.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reiterated Britain's "ironclad" support for Ukraine, after Donald Trump's US presidential election win raised concerns about western countries' future commitment to backing Kyiv's war effort.

Radakin repeated that the UK would support Ukraine for "as long as it takes".

"That's the message President Putin has to absorb and the reassurance for (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky," he said.

Russian strikes kill six in southern Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) Nov 11, 2024 - Russian air strikes killed at least six people in southern Ukraine, authorities said Monday, a day after Moscow and Kyiv launched record overnight drone attacks on each other.

Five people were killed in the southern city of Mykolaiv, according to the regional governor, while a sixth died in Zaporizhzhia in an attack that authorities said wounded more than a dozen.

"Five dead," Mykolaiv Governor Vitaly Kim said early Monday on Telegram, revising up an earlier toll of four after an attack that set several residential buildings on fire.

About 300 kilometres (185 miles) to the east in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine's state emergency services agency said Russia carried out three air strikes that killed a man and damaged multiple buildings.

Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov said that 18 people were wounded, including five children.

"Boys aged 4, 16 and 17 and girls aged 15 and 17 have received the necessary medical assistance," he said on Telegram.

Overnight Saturday into Sunday, Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, more than any previous single nighttime attack during the conflict.

Russia also said it had downed 34 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow on Sunday, the largest attempted attack on the capital since the start of the war in 2022.