Authority sees Ukraine at an advantage
Pentagon estimates up to 80,000 Russians injured or killed
8/8/2022, 9:08 p.m
The Pentagon sees Ukraine at an advantage in defending Russia’s war of aggression. “They are fighting for the survival of their country,” says a senior official. The US agency estimates that up to 80,000 Russians have been injured or killed in the past few months.
According to estimates by the US Department of Defense, 70,000 to 80,000 people were killed or injured on the Russian side in the Ukraine war. The Russian army has suffered extraordinary losses because the Ukrainian military is functioning well and has received a lot of support, Pentagon top official Colin Kahl said. He described the war as the “most intense conventional conflict in Europe since World War II”. There is no current information from the official bodies in Russia on the number of victims.
Kahl currently sees the Ukrainians as having a clear advantage, especially because they are superior to the Russian armed forces in terms of their morale and willingness to fight, said Kahl. “There is a lot at stake for them. They are fighting for the survival of their country.” Kahl further said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not achieved any of his goals. “His overarching goal was to overrun the entire country, bring about regime change in Kyiv, and wipe out Ukraine as an independent, sovereign, and democratic nation. None of that happened.”
Meanwhile, the US continues to expand its support. The US government announced further arms deliveries in the billions. The Pentagon said the $1 billion package included additional ammunition for the HIMARS and NASAMS rocket launcher systems, as well as 1,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles. It is the largest arms shipment from US stocks to Ukraine to date. Overall, the United States has pledged weapons and equipment worth around $9.8 billion to Ukraine since US President Joe Biden took office a good year and a half ago. “These are all vital tools to help Ukraine repel the Russian offensive in the east, and also to counter developments in the south and elsewhere,” Pentagon top official Kahl said of the new package.