Defense & Geopolitics — 2026-03-18
Russia Loses 1,710 Troops in Past Day; Ukraine Targets Moscow With Drones for 4th Consecutive Day
Russian losses reached approximately 1,282,570 total casualties since February 2022, with 1,710 in the past 24 hours. Ukrainian drones struck Moscow for a fourth consecutive day, prompting Security Council Secretary Shoigu to acknowledge that no Russian region can feel safe and that the Ural region is in the 'immediate danger zone.' Ukrainian forces engaged in 171 combat clashes across multiple axes.
Analysis
Russian cumulative losses of 1.28M since Feb 2022 continue to climb at ~1,700/day. Shoigu's admission that the Ural region is in the 'immediate danger zone' from Ukrainian drones represents a significant shift from Moscow's prior messaging that the homeland was insulated from the conflict.
Russian cumulative losses of 1.28M since Feb 2022 continue to climb at ~1,700/day. Shoigu's admission that the Ural region is in the 'immediate danger zone' from Ukrainian drones represents a significant shift from Moscow's prior messaging that the homeland was insulated from the conflict.