Government files reveal shocking Russian losses in Ukraine war Zelensky warns of attacks on electricity suppliers – the nightly update on Ukraine

Russia has been conducting a three-day military operation in Ukraine for 600 days. The Kremlin felt that it had to be done quickly, Kiev had to be taken within a few days. But Ukrainian resistance was stronger than the Russian military leadership probably assumed.

Days turned into months, and Russia’s war of aggression will soon celebrate its second anniversary. The losses on both sides are enormous; both sides like to downplay the actual number of soldiers killed.

But now Russian government files may reveal the true death toll from the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s budget proposal offers deep insight

For the 2024 budget, the Russian government provides 16,335 billion rubles (159,011,361 euros) for relatives of injured or deceased soldiers. Of this, 9,987 billion rubles (97,217,414 euros) will go to monthly payments to the relatives of traumatized soldiers.

This was reported by the independent Russian news agency Mozhem Obyasnit, according to a report by the “Frankfurter Rundschau”. The analysis of the Russian federal budget draft for the period 2024-2026 provides an interesting insight.

Accordingly, Russia’s 2024 budget proposal should provide funds for the families of 102,700 service members killed in Ukraine. This provides information about the likely number of Russian deaths in the war in Ukraine.

Increasing losses on the Russian side

According to the publication, government expenditure has more than doubled compared to 2022. The news agency “Mozhem Obyasnit” calculates: The difference of 2,250 billion rubles (21,902,391 euros), divided by the monthly payment, suggests that Russia will have to pay the families of 102,700 military personnel .

“According to the authorities’ predictions, 100,000 Russian soldiers will die within two years,” Mozhem Obyasnit concludes.

In September 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed in the war in Ukraine as of the end of February 2022.

But the continued heavy fighting apparently costs many more Russian soldiers their lives. According to official figures, the number of military casualties in Russia is approaching 300,000, according to a report in the New York Times. Estimates of Russian casualties vary, with Russian casualties generally exceeding those of its Western allies.

But Ukraine also avoids revealing casualty figures for its own armed forces. However, Western intelligence services estimate that these are also significant. In April, leaked US secret documents provided an assessment: Kiev is estimated to have suffered 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, including 15,500 to 17,500 dead and 109,000 to 113,500 injured.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin announces successes on the front lines. According to its own statements, the Russian army has made progress in its offensive in Ukraine, for example in the controversial Avdiivka. “Our soldiers are improving their positions in almost the entire area, which is quite large,” Putin said in an interview with Russian television published on online networks on Sunday. “This concerns the areas of Koupyansk, Zaporizhia and Avdiivka.”

The Ukrainian military, for its part, said on Sunday that Russian attacks in the region had been “repelled” and “failed”. Several political experts, citing photos on the online networks of attacks on Avdiivka, said the Russians appeared to have suffered major losses of military equipment.

(With material from AFP)