While Russia has suffered thousands of losses in its war against Ukraine, a senior US military commander in Europe told lawmakers Wednesday that they have plenty more firepower left in their arsenal.
“[T]he Russian ground force has been degenerated somewhat by this conflict, although it is bigger today than it was at the beginning of the conflict,” Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the commander of US European Command, told the House Armed Services Committee.
“The Air Force has lost very little, they’ve lost 80 planes. They have another 1,000 fighters and fighter bombers,” he said. “The Navy has lost one ship.”
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
5 Raptor-class patrol boats — On 22 March 2022, a video appeared of a Raptor-class patrol boat being hit and damaged by an ATGM. According to Russian sources, it had to be towed away afterwards.[25] On the first week of May 2022, Ukrainian forces using Bayraktar TB2 drones attacked four Raptor-class boats (in addition to one BK-16 high speed assault boat, mentioned below) near Snake Island. The extent of the damage was not initially known,[26][27][28] but it emerged that three boats were destroyed[29] while one of the Raptor boats withstood the damage and was filmed in Sevastopol for repairs.[30]
Saratov — On 24 March 2022, a Russian Navy Alligator-class landing ship that was docked in Berdiansk, Ukraine, caught fire. The Ukrainian military claimed that they had hit it, that it was destroyed and that it was the Orsk.[31] Later the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that Saratov had been destroyed.[32] Two other Russian ships, the Caesar Kunikov, and the Novocherkassk, that were docked nearby sailed away, with fire and smoke billowing out of one.[33][34][35] On 2 July 2022, Russian official said the ship was scuttled back in March by its own crew in order “to prevent detonation of the on-board munitions by the fire that had started” due to a Tochka-U ballistic missile that hit the port. Also it became known that Saratov has been salvaged and will be towed to Kerch, Crimea.[36]
Moskva — On 13 April 2022, two Ukrainian officials said that the Slava-class cruiser had been hit by Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles and was on fire in heavy seas. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the ship was seriously damaged after a fire caused a munitions explosion. The next day, Russian officials said that the ship had sunk while being towed to port.[37]
BK-16 high-speed assault boat - In the first week of May 2022, a video appeared of a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 drone hitting and sinking a high-speed assault boat near Snake Island.[29] The wreck was later recovered.[38]
Serna-class landing craft - On 7 May 2022, a video appeared of a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 drone hitting and sinking a landing craft on Snake Island.[39][40]
Veliky Ustyug - On 17 June 2022, a photo emerged of the ship being towed on the Volga River in a damaged state. The Buyan-M-class corvette had participated in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[41][42]
Vasily Bekh — On 17 June 2022, Ukraine claimed to have sunk the rescue tug (Russian: Спасатель, “Spasatel”) Vasily Bekh with two Harpoon missiles causing it to sink shortly thereafter.[43] Shortly after the sinking, on 21 June, British military intelligence confirmed the attack, stating that the vessel sunk was almost certainly Vasily Bekh.[44]
Ivan Golubets - On 29 October 2022, Ukrainian forces used an Unmanned Aerial and Submarine Vehicle to strike Russian forces in Sevastopol, Crimea. According to Russia, Ukrainian UAVs slightly damaged the Natya-class minesweeper.[45]