Putin Has Lost Over 300,000 Soldiers In Russia’s War Against Ukraine, U.K. Military Estimates

The British military has estimated that the number of military personnel casualties by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine has surpassed 300,000. These estimates also indicate that thousands more soldiers have deserted the battlefield.

Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey revealed the U.K.’s assessment of the losses Russian President Vladimir Putin has suffered since the start of the invasion in February of the previous year.

Heappey stated, “We estimate that approximately 302,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already abandoned their posts since the conflict began.”

He went on to detail other extensive Russian losses.

“We also estimate that over 7,117 Russian armored vehicles, including nearly 2,475 main battle tanks, 93 fixed-wing aircraft, 132 helicopters, 320 unmanned aerial vehicles, 16 naval vessels of all classes and over 1,300 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed since the start of the conflict,” he said.

Since the commencement of the war in Ukraine, Russia has refrained from any disclosure of official information about the casualties it has suffered. Both Moscow and Kyiv have closely guarded their respective losses on the battlefield as well.

In the initial phases of the conflict, Russia publicly acknowledged the deaths of slightly more than 6,000 soldiers. However, activists and independent journalists have pointed out that reports about military losses have been suppressed in the Russian media.

In the face of such circumstances, individuals in Russia who attempt to document the deceased within the country are subjected to harassment and potential criminal charges, it now considered an act of defiance.

One of Russia’s well-known private military companies (PMCs), The Wagner Group, has been involved in some of the most violent conflicts in Ukraine, which has resulted in significant casualties.

After an unsuccessful mutiny led by their late commander Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner fighters left the country and relocated to Belarus, a landlocked country bordered by Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia. In August, Prignozhin died in a mysterious plane crash.