A war of numbers, as well as ideology, between the United States and Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, while preparations for a counteroffensive in Kiev are “in the making,” according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who revealed preparations, from a part of Moscow, for an evacuation plan from Zaporozhye. According to Washington, more than 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and another 80,000 wounded in five months of fighting since the beginning of December in eastern Ukraine, particularly in Bakhmut. “We estimate that Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including more than 20,000 combat deaths,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Kirby added that “Russia’s attempt to attack in the Donbass, largely through Bakhmut, failed… Russia failed to gain control of any strategically important region.” The total number of casualties, according to the Bulletin of the Ukrainian General Staff, is close to 200,000: more than 191,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the invasion. US spokesman Kirby said, citing recently declassified US intelligence, that about half of the dead were soldiers recruited by the Wagner private military company.
“Far-fetched estimates,” he defines them as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, explaining that Washington does not have similar data. Moscow is taking the opportunity to show recent Ukrainian casualty numbers: 480 foreign soldiers and mercenaries were eliminated in the last 24 hours and 44 units of military equipment in the Donetsk region, according to Russian defense.
However, even according to the update from the British Ministry of Defense, the Russians face a problem: although the industry continues to produce at full capacity, Moscow is unable to meet the demands of military leaders and the shortage of ammunition is causing internal divisions. Even Chief Wagner Prigozhin admitted: “The soldiers need at least 300 tons of artillery shells per day to continue the assault on the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.” Fighting continues unabated in Ukraine. It is no coincidence that the Verkhovna Rada, the Verkhovna Rada, approved by a large majority decrees extending martial law and general mobilization for three months, until August 18th.
The Russians are now afraid of being shot on their own land. Yesterday, in the Bryansk region, a locomotive and carriages of a freight train derailed, according to Moscow, due to tampering by unauthorized persons. Six regions have canceled May 9 Victory Day parades against Nazi Germany. The last one is Saratov, 650 km from the Ukrainian border. “Security concerns,” says the governor. Days ago, the first cancellations were from the Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh, Oryol and Pskov regions. Crimeans also canceled parades.
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