Nearly 188,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine eleven months ago, according to the latest estimate by US intelligence. This devastating toll amounts to an average of over 500 Russian dead or wounded soldiers for each of the 341 days Russia has been at war with Ukraine. Russia is also believed to have lost as many as two thirds of its tanks on the battlefield in the past eleven months.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Kremlin has yet to acknowledge these figures that were confirmed in a UK cabinet meeting this morning, even to deny them. The last time the Russian Ministry of Defence acknowledged any army casualties at all was on 21 September. Back then, shortly after Putin announced a partial wave of mobilisation, defence minister Sergei Shoigu admitted that 5,937 Russian soldiers had died since the start of the conflict.
Ordinary Russians don’t trust the official Kremlin death count
With several months of humiliating military setbacks since, as well as a clear drop in enthusiasm for the war domestically, the Kremlin has kept shtum.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in