nearly 80,000 Russian troops killed or injured, Pentagon estimates

Between “70,000 and 80,000 troops” Russians have been killed or injured since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the Pentagon’s number three said, Monday, August 8. thes objectives announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the start of the war have not yet been achieved, said Colin Kahl.

Russian forces also lost “3,000 or 4,000” armored vehicles. They could also lack precision-guided missiles, for example air-to-surface and sea-to-surface missiles, the deputy defense secretary added. “This is quite remarkable considering that the Russians failed to achieve any of Vladimir Putin’s goals at the start of the war.”continued Colin Kahl.

“They have made slight progress in the east, although very little in recent weeks”noted the US official. “But this came at an extraordinary cost to the Russian army because of the quality of the Ukrainian army and the international aid it received.” Prior to the February 24 invasion of Ukraine, some 150,000 to 200,000 Russian troops were deployed on Ukraine’s borders, according to Western estimates.

Hake Kahl acknowledged that the Ukrainian forces had also suffered heavy losses, without quantifying them. Kyiv reported at least 10,000 dead and 30,000 wounded in its troops. According to a military source who requested anonymity, the Ukrainian army, which was strong with 170,000 active soldiers and 100,000 reservists at the start of the war on February 24, has been reinforced to reach 300,000 to 350,000 soldiers. .