British intelligence: Russia's war in Ukraine costs half a million killed soldiers
Photo: Russia's losses in the war against Ukraine reach half a million killed
Around half a million Russian servicemen have been killed in the full-scale war against Ukraine. Overall Russian military losses, including those wounded, have reached 1.5 million, Sky News reports.
Huge losses for minimal gains
British military intelligence says Russia has suffered the vast majority of these losses since January 2023.
During that time, however, Russian forces managed to capture only an additional 2% of Ukraine's territory.
"I think these numbers illustrate clearly the senseless and futile waste of human life for such little progress, and against such an illegitimate aim of President Putin," Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, the head of the UK armed forces, said.
He also noted that half a million deaths mean that half a million families in Russia will never see their fathers, sons, brothers, or husbands again.
Impact on the economy and Kremlin's goals
According to Marshal Knighton, the prolonged war has inflicted severe damage upon the Russian economy. It has slowed economic growth, weakened consumer demand and kept inflation persistently high.
At the same time, Western officials say that despite the staggering losses and economic problems, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his main goal of bringing Ukraine fully under Moscow's sphere of influence.
How long has the war lasted?
Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than 1,660 days. This means the current war has lasted longer for Russia than its involvement in either World War I or World War II.
Earlier, British intelligence reported that the average daily losses of Russian troops on the front in Ukraine had reached record-high levels in recent months since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Russia's resources for the war
Russia is suffering heavy losses in its war against Ukraine, which could lead to a systemic crisis in the country in the coming years.
In particular, HUR chief Oleh Ivashchenko said Russia could run out of resources to continue the war as early as 2028. According to intelligence estimates, around 60% of all Russian military losses on the battlefield are fatalities.
In addition, the scale of Russia's personnel losses is becoming critical for its demographics. The intelligence chief also warned that another 18 months of war could cost Russia nearly 10% of its male population, adding more than 765,000 killed and wounded to the Russian military's losses.
