Since the start of the war in Ukraine, over 250 armored vehicles have been withdrawn from the Russian military equipment base at Dachnoye, located near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. This depletion of resources highlights the strain on Russia's military stockpiles due to the ongoing conflict.
Dachnoye, situated on Sakhalin Island more than 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) from Ukraine and near the Japanese border, is the most remote of such bases. The removal of equipment from this distant base, as reported by *The Moscow Times*, emphasizes the lengths Russia will supply to its war effort.
Satellite images indicate that nearly 600 armored vehicles were stored at Dachnoye before the war. By October 2022, that number had fallen to 556; by May 2024, only 342 remained. The base once housed nine hangars for equipment, but only five remained by 2024, as others had been destroyed.
Russia stores its military equipment in four categories: the most valuable in heated, ventilated rooms; the second-tier in hangars; the third under tents; and the least useful in open air. Most of the equipment at Dachnoye was kept outdoors, and satellite images show that the number of vehicles under tents decreased from 92 in 2020 to just 39 by mid-2024.
Before the conflict, the Dachnoye base housed tanks, mortars, self-propelled guns, and anti-aircraft systems. Among the equipment sent to Ukraine were T-72B tanks, 2S3 Akatsiya howitzers, Strela-10 air defense systems, and BM-21 Grad rocket launchers. The T-72B is a key tank in Russia’s arsenal and is widely used on the Ukrainian front. It is an updated version of the T-72A, with a length of over 31 feet and a width of nearly 23 feet. It is armed with a 125 mm gun, 7.62 mm, and 12.7 mm machine guns.
The Dachnoye base is part of the Russian military defense structure for the Far East and the Kuril Islands. After the invasion of Ukraine, equipment and soldiers from the Far East were rotated into the war. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, where the base is located, is home to the 39th Independent Red Banner Motor Rifle Brigade, which has been active in Ukraine. As of September 2023, *Mediazona* reported that at least 677 soldiers from the Sakhalin region had died in the war.
According to BBC analysis, more than 70,000 Russian soldiers have now died in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. For the first time, volunteers—civilians who joined the military after the war began—now make up the largest portion of those killed on the battlefield. Daily obituaries and funeral images of the fallen are shared widely across Russian media and social networks, reflecting the heavy toll the war is taking.
Besides the independent site Mediazona, BBC Russian has compiled a list of the deceased by analyzing information from public sources, including official reports, social media posts, and obituaries shared by families or authorities. They have also identified new graves marked by flags and wreaths from the Russian Defense Ministry, which indicate soldiers killed in action. So far, they have verified the names of 70,112 Russian soldiers who have died in the conflict.
However, this is likely an underestimate, as some families prefer not to publicize the deaths of their relatives. The analysis also excludes militia members from Russian-occupied regions like Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
Military experts believe that the Russian forces' high casualty rate is partially due to insufficient training and poor-quality equipment. Samuel Cranny-Evans, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, points out that basic infantry skills—such as camouflage, night movement, and avoiding detection during the day—are lacking. This lack of preparation leaves many soldiers vulnerable on the battlefield.
In addition to inadequate training, the quality of military equipment has also been a serious issue for Russian troops. One soldier told the BBC that equipment is often random and outdated, with boots that wear out quickly and uniforms from decades ago. Bulletproof vests and helmets are also insufficient, forcing many soldiers to buy their gear to improve their chances of survival.
These challenges, combined with the scale of the losses, suggest that Russia’s military is struggling to cope with the demands of the war. The ongoing conflict continues to take a significant toll on both the armed forces and Russian society.
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