News Feed

UK Defense Ministry: Russian losses may have reached 200,000 troops

1 min read

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia's army and private mercenary groups have likely lost 175-200,000 people in Ukraine, of which up to 60,000 were killed, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Feb. 17.

Prisoners recruited by the Kremlin-backed private mercenary Wagner Group have allegedly suffered a casualty rate of up to 50%.

"The Russian casualty rate has significantly increased since September 2022 when 'partial mobilization' was imposed," reads the report.

These figures demonstrate a high ratio of troops killed compared to those injured by modern standards of warfare, according to the ministry.

"This is almost certainly due to extremely rudimentary medical provision across much of the force," the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter. The largest share of Russian losses among personnel is caused by artillery, it added.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Feb. 17 that Russia had lost 141,260 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24 last year.

Avatar
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Read more
News Feed
Video

The Kyiv Independent's Nick Allard and Asami Terajima travel to Kharkiv Oblast to meet reconnaissance soldiers from Ukraine's 60th Mechanized Brigade, part of the 3rd Army Corps, and witness the training required to perform one of the army's most dangerous roles.

Among its provisions, the law requires the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that continue buying Russian crude oil or natural gas and were among the five largest importers of Russian energy by volume over the previous 12 months.

Show More