Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Friday that the Ukrainian armed forces lost more than 23,000 people in January, both dead and injured.

During a military leadership meeting, Shoigu said that "The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces over the past month exceeded 23,000 people killed and wounded."

Shoigu detailed that following the failure of Ukraine's counteroffensive, the Russian armed forces held strategic initiative throughout the entire line of contact in the war zone.

During the meeting, the Russian defense minister elaborated on how Russian units are "moving forward, expanding their control zones, and improving their position along the front line. "

He also detailed how these operations led to the liberation of the Kupyansk, Krasnyi Lyman and Donetsk directions, the settlements of Vesele, Krokhmalne, and Tabaivka.

Shoigu explained that Russian armed forces carried out 127 attacks against military infrastructure and installations of Ukraine's defense sector using high-precision missiles in January.

"In January, the Russian armed forces carried out 127 strikes with precision weapons on military infrastructure and defense industry facilities in Ukraine. Enterprises for the production, modernization and repair of weapons, arsenals, military airfields, fuel depots, deployment points of units of the armed forces of Ukraine and foreign mercenaries were hit."

Ukraine's chief of staff warns Zelensky huge losses on the way: WashPo

Ukraine's army chief warned that the country must prepare itself for another year of significant casualties as the war with Russia nears its two-year mark later this month.

Valery Zaluzhny's comments came during talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had earlier told him that he would be sacked from his post, the Washington Post reported citing unnamed Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko on Monday announced, as per informed sources, that Zaluzhny was told to resign, although no official decree has been issued yet.

Goncharenko added that Ukraine's top officer "was offered a position of ambassador to one of the European countries. He refused."

However, Ukraine's Defense Ministry denied the reports.

Tensions grew between Zelensky and Zaluzhny after the latter informed him that the field situation is at a "stalemate," a description that was strongly rejected by the president, The Economist reported.

400,000 reservists needed to maintain parity

According to The Washington Post, Zelensky summoned Zaluzhny earlier this week to notify him of his near dismissal.

The report mentioned that this decision came as Ukraine's leader saw the need for top-level changes amid declining Western support and a weary home front.

Zaluzhny told him that, regardless of who fills his position, it won't mean a quick improvement in Ukraine's battleground conditions, emphasizing the need to mobilize a further 400,000 reservists to maintain parity with Russian forces, the newspaper said.

But Zelensky refused the remarks, citing depleting financial support from allies - most notably the United States - and that this decision might politically backfire, especially as Kiev witnessed a series of corruption scandals in the past months.