September has proven to be the deadliest month for Russian occupiers in the war, according to a report by the WSJ (a similar assessment was made in a publication by Politico). Western intelligence indicates that Russia's losses amounted to 1,200 killed and wounded per day. However, the newspaper noted that Russia is achieving successes on the front lines due to ground attacks by infantry units composed of prisoners. They agree to fight in exchange for clemency and over $2,000 a month.
According to retired U.S. Army Colonel and professor at the U.S. Army War College John Nagl, Russia is incurring unacceptable losses for a country that is not an absolute autocracy (in early October, the American Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia lost so much armored equipment in the Pokrovsk region of Donetsk Oblast over the course of a year that it would be enough for five divisions).
Considering Trump's promises to quickly end the war, Nagl believes that "Putin's hope for a relatively easy victory hinges on Trump's success." In his view, Russia is willing to endure significant losses on the front lines before the U.S. elections, which "hold no operational or strategic significance."