‘16,600 soldiers, 582 tanks Russia’s losses according to Ukraine media
Russia has lost 16,600 soldiers and 582 tanks since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian news website The Kyiv Independent reported. The Ukrainian media’s claims comes days after Moscow claimed it had lost 1,351 soldiers in what it calls a ‘military operation’ in Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian media report, the Russians have suffered major losses which include 1,664 armoured personnel carriers, 121 planes, 127 helicopters and so on.
On Friday, Moscow had said that it lost 1,351 troopers in the war while 3,825 had been wounded. However, NATO has pegged the losses ranging between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers.
On Saturday, the Western officials claimed that seven Russian generals were killed and another top ranking official was sacked by Kremlin earlier this month. Lieutenant General Yakov Rezanstev, the commander of Russia’s 49th Combined Arms Army was killed in action.
According to news agency AFP, General Vlaislav Yershov was abruptly sacked due to the heavy losses and strategic failures during the month long invasion of Ukraine. Western officials have also claimed that 20 of Russia’s 115-120 tactical military units have been rendered ineffective due to the losses sustained in the war.
Ferocious fighting continues in several cities of Ukraine as the war enters Day 32. Moscow on Sunday struck military targets in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv with high-precision cruise missiles.
Russia hit a fuel depot being used by Ukrainian forces near Lviv with long-range missiles and used cruise missiles to strike a plant in the city being used to repair anti-aircraft systems, radar stations and sights for tanks, the ministry said according to Reuters.
According to the Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko, Putin’s forces have now started destroying Ukrainian fuel and storage depots.