Twice as high: Western intelligence doubts that Zelensky has voiced the real loss of the Armed Forces - WP

According to journalists, the President could diminish the real amount of losses to support the moral spirit in society. It also testifies to the complexity of mobilization, which, in turn, is associated with the lack of demobilization, low wages and the help of families of dead soldiers. The number of soldiers in Ukraine increases on both sides. During critical battles, Russia attracts wave attacks with poorly trained military and suffered great losses, trying to seize Ukrainian positions.

The "meat grinder" tactics became the basis of Russian victories in Avdiivka and Bakhmut. About it writes The Washington Post. There are no confirmed data on the war in Ukraine, but in Kiev it is believed that the number of Russians killed this year will be higher than last year, if the Armed Forces receive the necessary support. BBC journalists tried to calculate losses in the Russian Federation by independent sources and images of cemeteries.

According to recent estimates, the number of confirmed dead has exceeded 50 thousand. But the authors of such an investigation recognize that real data is probably much higher. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently stated that Russia has lost about half a million people in total, including 180,000 dead.

Leo Dogeri, Minister of the Ministry of Defense of the British, stated that by the end of last week the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation had lost about 450 thousand people wounded or killed. Tens of thousands were deserted. He also noted that Russia has lost more than 10,000 armored vehicles, including About 3 thousand tanks, 109 units of aviation equipment, 136 helicopters, 346 UAVs, 23 sea vessels of different class and more than 1500 artillery systems of different types.

At the same time, these losses do not interfere with the Russians to step on the position of Ukraine in the East, journalists say. Western intelligence is doubting the data of Ukrainian losses that Zelensky voiced. According to the Western reconnaissance, real losses are much higher, probably more than twice as much as 31 thousand fighters. Journalists believe that Zelensky can diminish the real number of deaths of servicemen to support the moral spirit in society.

"The Ukrainian MP, who agreed to speak on the conditions of anonymity, believes that the February data of Zelensky about 31 thousand soldiers who died since 2022 are significantly low, compared to the real number of dead in the war," the journalists said. It is also noted that this testifies to the complexity of mobilizing fresh reserves, which, for their part, are related to the lack of demobilization, low wages and opportunities to help the families of fallen soldiers.

"We see so many dead and so many wounded. If they have to go, they want to know how much they will awaken there," said the Ukrainian MP, which journalists refer to. Difficulties with replenishment of the Armed Forces are no less relevant than the timely supply of Western weapons. "The personnel situation is a growing problem.

If you do not correct it, then this package of assistance will not solve Ukraine's problem," said Rob Lee, the former US Marines, and now the Foreign Policy Research Institute employee. At the time of publishing the material, the President's office did not comment on the information of the publication, including the "lower" of the loss of defense forces. Recall that Washington doubts Ukraine's victory even with a new package of military assistance, notes Politico.