More Russian troops ‘die in 1 year than total since WWII’
The total number of Russian deaths in Ukraine is likely to have exceeded all fatalities in 16 of the nation’s military actions since the Second World War, it has been claimed.
The rate of soldiers being killed per month in the first year of the war was 25 times higher than in chechnya and 35 times higher than in the Soviet Union’s tenyear war in Afghanistan, a US think-tank said.
It is thought Russian troops are dying at five times the rate of Ukrainians, at a total of around 70,000.
The centre for Strategic and International Studies (cSIS) said Russia
‘Five times greater than Chechnya’
suffered between 13,000 and 25,000 deaths in the two chechen wars – meaning the numbers killed in Ukraine in a year could be five times greater than those killed in chechnya over almost 15 years.
Those killed in the initial attack on Ukraine in February last year included elite regiments, now being replenished with reluctant recruits with little training and poor equipment.
Reports this week claim Russian teenage boys now have the same life expectancy as those in haiti.
It comes as more reports emerged yesterday of mutinies among Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
Soldiers are furious about tactics of their commanders, such as being ordered at gunpoint to charge across open ground. A video on social media channel Telegram featured Russian
troops refusing to do this. One said: ‘You can imprison us. how long is it? Five, seven, ten years? Fight yourselves. But what for? Who for? Life is more important.’
At least six Ukrainian civilians were killed and more wounded as Russia launched 81 air strikes yesterday.
The attack temporarily cut power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, raising fresh fears of a catastrophe.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has dismissed Kremlin claims it tried to murder officials in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region. The pro-Russian enclave said Ukrainian agents had intended to detonate a car bomb. Ukraine denied planning any attack.
Last month pro-Western Moldovan president Maia Sandu accused Moscow of plotting to overthrow her.