Monday's figures also included eight armored combat vehicles bringing the total to 5,928; four more vehicles and fuel tanks bringing the total to 4,544; one artillery system bringing the total to 1,929; four UAVs bringing the total to 1,617; and two items of special equipment bringing the total to 169.Foreign partners have shone more light on the situation, with both General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hinting at some 100,000 total casualties on the Ukrainian side, though this may include military and civilian dead as well as wounded.Though operations were expected to slow through the muddy season—referred to as the "rasputitsa" in Russian, meaning "the time without roads"—Ukrainian leaders have been clear about their desire to maintain momentum and deny beleaguered Russian units any time to rearm and dig in.The traditional mid-winter freeze in January will harden the ground, offering a key window for mechanized offensive operations until the spring thaw again brings mud to the Ukrainian steppe.More broadly, Ukraine is thought to be preparing for offensives towards the Crimean peninsula and the occupied southern city of Melitopol, hoping to cut vital Russian supply lines running along the Azov coast through the devastated city of Mariupol."