RUSSIA has suffered its deadliest days yet with Vladimir Putin losing nearly 4,000 troops within a mere 48 hours.
The new daily high of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in action hit a catastrophic 1,950 on Tuesday - marking a devastating escalation in the brutal war.
This figure surpasses the previous high of 1,770 that only occurred on Monday as Russian casualties reported by Kyiv continue to mount.
Ukraine’s General Staff released the grim statistics, estimating Russia’s total casualties since the start of the full-scale invasion at over 710,000.
These numbers include those killed, wounded, missing, and captured.
Western analysts corroborate these figures, highlighting the catastrophic cost of Russia’s disastrous military campaign.
October was already one of the bloodiest months for Russian forces.
UK Defence Staff Chief Admiral Anthony Radakin stated that Russian casualties in October averaged 1,500 daily.
Earlier in the month, UK Defense Minister John Healey reported 41,980 Russian troops were killed or injured in October alone.
And in June, Putin lost more than 1,200 troops in just 24 hours after Western nations - including the US - gave Ukraine the green light to strike Russia with their weapons.
The heavy toll comes as Russia pushes forward with “tactical, territorial gains” in Ukraine.
Despite the staggering losses, Russian forces have managed to advance, reclaiming 1,146 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since August, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
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Key areas in southern Donetsk Oblast, Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, and Kupiansk have witnessed significant Russian advances.
Mad Vlad has meanwhile amassed 40,000 of his soldiers and 10,000 North Koreans as he plots to attack Kursk in just days, despite Donald Trump "telling him to back off Ukraine".
And leaked videos even show North Korean soldiers training in Russia as Putin readies the troops to claw back Kursk.
The Republican strongman reportedly urged the Kremlin despot not to escalate his brutal war in Ukraine in a phone call in the days after Trump's election win.
According to The Washington Post and Reuters, which cited people familiar with the discussion, Don reportedly warned Putin of America's substantial military presence in Europe during the Thursday chat.
But Moscow on Monday denied reports of such call, and said Putin had no concrete plans yet to speak to Trump.
Russia's major battlefield assault looms as Donald Trump's election win could also change the shape of peace talks.
US President Joe Biden, meanwhile, could also be convinced to let Ukraine fire crucial long-range missiles into Russia as a major last act before Trump takes office, according to UK Government insiders.
According to The Telegraph, there are hopes in London that Biden will finally give Kyiv the clearance it has sought for months in an attempt to secure his foreign policy legacy.
Putin's Kursk push
Experts suggest the mounting casualties may have driven Russia to seek reinforcements, including troops from North Korea.
the deployment underscores the Kremlin’s determination to sustain its offensive, even as the cost in manpower and resources grows.
Admiral Radakin described Russia’s strategy as “sacrificing high numbers of troops for tiny increments of land,” a sentiment echoed by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who called Russia’s current offensive “one of the most powerful” since the start of the invasion.
Kremlin despot Putin has amassed 40,000 of his soldiers and 10,000 North Koreans as he plots to attack Kursk in just days, a report claims.
The 72-year-old tyrant is set to try and claw back the area of Russia which Ukraine seized back in August.
Putin could begin the combined assault with Kim Jong-un's troops sent to fight in just days, Ukrainian officials told the New York Times.
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US and Ukrainian officials say 10,000 of the 50,000 massed troops are North Koreans.
Those soldiers are said to be wearing Russian uniforms and have been equipped by Moscow, but will fight in their own units.
Putin's army has also been training the North Koreans in infantry tactics, artillery fire, and trench clearing.
Ukraine has built defences in the part of Kursk it occupies and could be able to hold on, officials say.
But Russia has been stockpiling missiles at airfields for shelling and sending massive rocket attacks against the entrenched Ukrainians, Pravda Ukraine reports.
Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Defense and Security Council of Ukraine, Andriy Kovalenko, said on Telegram: "As I said, the Russians are ready for massive attacks.
"There are enough missiles, they are accumulated at strategic aviation airfields and continue to accumulate. The aviation is also ready."
Kovalenko said that the Russians also use simulated launch procedures to keep their aircraft ready for combat.
"And the enemy uses it for psychological pressure," he said.
Eight Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers took off early on Monday and launched cruise missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
But the missile launches were most likely merely practice runs.