According to research by the American newspaper “Wall Street Journal”, hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides were wounded or killed in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In total, the million mark has already been exceeded.
Ukrainian troops suffered about 80,000 dead and 400,000 wounded, the newspaper reported, citing a confidential Ukrainian estimate. By contrast, according to Western intelligence estimates, Russia lost 600,000 soldiers: 200,000 dead and 400,000 wounded.
There is no official information from Kiev or Moscow about their own losses. However, the newspaper’s information matches the British Ministry of Defence’s estimates of Moscow’s losses in the war.
Russian recruits as cannon fodder
According to this data, since the beginning of the war, 610,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded so badly that they are no longer fit for duty. “A tactic based on massive waves of infantry has forced Russia to replenish its front-line forces with a constant stream of new recruits,” the ministry said on Platform X. Accordingly, Moscow is now finding it more difficult to attract volunteers.
The high toll that the two warring parties must pay also has fatal consequences in the long term. Even before the outbreak of the armed conflict, Russia and Ukraine were struggling with shrinking populations. For Ukraine, whose population is only about a quarter of that of Russia, the problem is existential, writes the Wall Street Journal.
The mass exodus multiplies the problem
While Russia can at least partially make up for losses on the front by occupying Ukrainian territories and absorbing the population living there, Kiev is also facing a mass exodus abroad.
The number of civilian casualties is not included in the calculation anyway. According to human rights activists, thousands of people have died, mainly on the Ukrainian side, as a result of the systematic shelling of towns and villages.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
