According to The Times newspaper’s analysis, untrained Russian soldiers are sent to fight on the frontlines in Ukraine to deplete resources. August and September marked the bloodiest months of the three-year war so far. Every day, over 1,200 Russian soldiers died or were injured in pursuit of territorial gains. Military experts claim that as Russia gains ground, this is a ruthless but effective tactic. This is Russia’s successful strategy of sending soldiers to their death, known as the “mincing machine.”

In recent months, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of soldiers Kremlin is willing to sacrifice for territorial gains. According to U.S. intelligence, August and September were the bloodiest months of the three-year war so far, with over 1,200 Russian soldiers dying or getting wounded daily.

It is believed that Russia is stepping up its attacks before the harsh winter conditions set in. Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk estimate that 20 to 30 Russian soldiers die each day in attacks under machine gun and artillery fire.

Though it may seem like suicide, this strategy is not ineffective. According to the open-source intelligence organization Black Bird Group, Russia has been gaining territory at an unprecedented rate in the last two months. A Ukrainian soldier from Kiev who joined the army in 2021 and now serves as a deputy commander in his battalion, named Andriy, stated, “The individuals they send in these raids are not actual combat units and are poorly trained. But they still deplete our ammunition resources, and each time one of our men gets injured or dies.” He emphasized that the sole purpose of these raids is to deplete resources and distract, saying, “Sometimes someone sneaks into our positions and hides in the tree line. Then we have to spend the rest of the day looking for them – and then eliminating them. It’s a primitive attack but it works. They managed to advance 500 meters two weeks ago.”

Andriy’s brigade has been stationed in the Kurakhove region since January, currently the site of the heaviest fighting across the entire 600-mile front. Kurakhove, a significant energy and logistics center, is located 35 miles south of Pokrovsk, which has been under constant attack since the summer. The capture of both towns would create the necessary conditions to advance into the rest of the Donetsk region, which Ukraine still controls about one-third of.

Due to Russian attacks, Kurakhove is slowly being destroyed. According to local authorities, about 70% of all buildings are now either destroyed or damaged.