-
More than 70,000 Russians have been killed in Ukraine, a new report says.
-
The BBC and Mediazona collected the information from obituaries.
-
Russian soldiers are deployed in ‘meat grinder attacks’ on Ukrainian positions.
The number of Russian deaths in Ukraine since the invasion began has risen to over 70,000, according to a new report.
The BBC cites data from the Russian independent media outlet Mediazona According to the UN, at least 70,112 Russians have been killed in Ukraine, most of them civilians who volunteered to fight in the war following the 2022 invasion.
According to the media, the figure was compiled from death notices, obituaries, grave information and other public information, such as official reports.
The media say they have checked whether the information was shared by authorities or relatives of the deceased.
They say the real death toll is likely much higher, as the total does not include those whose deaths were not publicly announced or those who fought in militias.
The BBC said that of the deaths they recorded, 13,781 were volunteers, which amounts to about 20% of the total. Prisoners recruited into the army made up 19% of the deaths, while civilians mobilized into the army made up 13% of the deaths.
The report comes as Russia continues to send troops in heavy-casualty frontal assaults on Ukrainian positions in an effort to capture more territory in eastern Ukraine.
The attacks consist of sending troops in waves to overpower Ukrainian positions or reveal their location.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine releases official casualty figures, but estimates from Western intelligence agencies reported by The Wall Street Journal In September, it was said that as many as 200,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed and around 400,000 wounded since the start of the war in Ukraine.
According to the publication, confidential Ukrainian figures put the death toll at 80,000 and the wounded at 400,000.
Because Russia has a much larger population, the steep accident For Ukraine, the figures pose a more serious problem.
Russia has strengthened its military by offering lucrative contracts and line up prisoners in exchange for a reduced sentence.
However, analysts believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is reluctant to introduce a new civilian service because he fears it could lead to social unrest.
The invasion has become a grueling war of attrition, with drone surveillance, relentless artillery fire and Russian tactics leading to high casualties.
While Russia recently made advances near the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, Ukraine has taken control of territory in Russia’s Kursk province.
Read the original article at Company Insider
