The UK believed that approximately 450,000 Russian troopshave been either killed or wounded in Ukraine, not including mercenaries and “tens of thousands” who have deserted.
As reported by the UK Defence Journal, the figure was provided by Leo Docherty, British Minister of State (Minister for the Armed Forces) in the Ministry of Defence, in response to an inquiry by lawmaker John Healey.
“We estimate that approximately 450,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict. The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies (PMCs) is not clear,” said Docherty.
Kyiv’s official estimate of Russian troops’ casualties stands at 466,150 at the time of publication.
Docherty also provided the estimations of Russian equipment lost during its invasion of Ukraine, which is much more conservative compared to Kyiv’s estimation.
“We also estimate that over 10,000 Russian armored vehicles, including nearly 3,000 main battle tanks, 109 fixed-wing aircraft, 136 helicopters, 346 unmanned aerial vehicles, 23 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,500 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed, abandoned, or captured by Ukraine since the start of the conflict,” he added.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia provides official numbers on personnel and equipment loss during the war.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
