Russia’s War of Attrition: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains with Seth Jones

Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war has become a slow-moving conflict defined by massive losses and limited gains on the battlefield. This week, Elisa sits down with Seth Jones, President of the Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss findings from his latest report, Russia’s Grinding War: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains for a Declining Power. Together they examine Russia’s staggering casualty numbers, the slow pace of its advance, and what these trends reveal about Russia’s long-term economic and geopolitical trajectory.

Seth Jones is President of the Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

References:

• Report: Jones, Seth G., and Riley McCabe. Russia’s Grinding War in Ukraine: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains for a Declining Power. Center for Strategic and International Studies, 27 Jan. 2026.
• VideoCast: Are Russia and Ukraine Headed to 2 Million Casualties? CSIS. Jan. 30 2026
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