Ukraine’s estimate of military casualties is significantly higher than Russia has officially announced.
14:37•Updated 14:40
According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Russia has lost more than 98,000 men during the war of aggression.
The figure includes both fallen and wounded soldiers. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has not said what it bases its estimate on.
In December alone, Russia would have lost 590 soldiers in two weeks, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine estimated on Twitter.
Ukraine’s estimate of military losses suffered by Russia is significantly higher than Russia has officially announced.
In late September, Russia said it had lost 5,937 soldiers in a “special military operation” in the Ukrainian corridor. Western experts have considered the figure to be on the low side.
Both sides hide their losses
It is difficult to get comprehensive, unbiased information about the military casualties of the war in Ukraine. Both sides tell little about their own losses, and they have good reason to exaggerate the other side’s losses.
Estimates of military casualties from outside parties have rarely been heard.
In November, the United States estimated that Russia had lost more than 100,000 soldiers in the war.
General Mark Milley said at the time that Ukraine had probably suffered similar losses. This would mean a total of around 200,000 dead and wounded.
The importance of field medicine is emphasized
It is difficult to determine the exact number of dead and wounded from the figures reported as total losses.
Historically, wars have normally recorded three wounded for one dead person. Based on this rule of thumb, about 25,000 Russian soldiers would have perished in Ukraine.
However, medicine has developed and, for example, in the operations of the United States armed forces, it is just as dead today, 10–17 wounded are recorded in the area. (you switch to another service)
In Russia and Ukraine, field medicine and transport for further care are not at the same high level as in the United States.
Former intelligence chief of the Finnish Defense Forces, Major General evp. Pekka Toveri has previously estimated that when talking about the Russian armed forces, there should be 3–5 times more wounded than dead.
In addition to military casualties, which are difficult to estimate, many civilians have also died in Ukraine.
Office of the UN High Representative for Human Rights (OHCHR) published an assessment this week (you will go to another service)according to which 6,755 civilians have been killed and 10,607 injured in the war in Ukraine.
According to the OHCHR, the actual numbers may be significantly higher, as all areas are inaccessible due to hostilities.
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