IAccording to estimates by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia has already lost 99,000 soldiers in the 300 days since the war began. In just a few days, the number of occupiers killed could increase to 100,000. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding more action from his country’s security forces, especially to protect the citizens of the “new territories”, as he calls the areas of Ukraine annexed by Moscow in violation of international law.
“So far there are almost 99,000 soldiers, in a few days the losses of the occupiers will increase to 100,000,” Zelenskyj said in his video address on Monday evening. It means dead soldiers. “And for what? No one in Moscow has the answer to that and will not (in the future) have it.”
Those responsible in Moscow were waging war and “wasting human lives – the lives of other people, not that of their loved ones, not their own lives, but that of others,” said Zelenskyy. “And that’s only because a group in the Kremlin doesn’t know how to admit mistakes and is terribly afraid of reality.” But the reality speaks for itself.
For security reasons, both sides are not providing precise information on the losses of the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces. However, Western military officials recently put the number of Russian soldiers killed and wounded at well over 100,000. Zelenskyy’s adviser Mykhailo Podoliak recently put the number of Ukrainian casualties at 13,000.
Putin calls for more deployment of Russian security forces
Putin called on his country’s security forces to do more in all areas. “Today we have a dynamically changing situation in the world, new risks and threats bring increased demands on Russia’s entire security system,” he said in a video speech on Tuesday night (local time). The reason for the speech was the so-called Day of the Security Forces of Russia.
One of the most important tasks of the security forces is to protect the citizens of the “new regions” of Russia. This meant the parts of Ukraine annexed by Moscow in violation of international law. In fact, the situation in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions is difficult, Putin stressed. “But the people living there, all Russian citizens, hope for their protection.” In order to protect the security, rights and freedoms of these people, Russia will “equip new units with the latest technology and weapons, as well as with experienced personnel”. Russia has occupied large parts of these areas and is now trying to defend them against Ukrainian counterattacks.