Russia has suffered a nearly 90% loss of the army assembled before the invasion of Ukraine, with 315,000 military personnel killed or wounded, according to the declassified report from US intelligence, as reported by Reuters.
“The report also assessed that Moscow’s losses in personnel and armored vehicles to Ukraine’s military have set back Russia’s military modernization by 18 years,” journalists write.
The Russian Ministry of Defense denies losses and asserts that the data are exaggerated. Meanwhile, a U.S. intelligence report states that Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February with the involvement of 360,000 military personnel. Since then, 315,000 occupiers, or 87% of the initial force, have been killed or wounded.
Significant losses have forced Russia to lower recruitment standards and conscript convicted individuals and elderly civilians for the war in Ukraine.
“The scale of losses has forced Russia to take extraordinary measures to sustain its ability to fight. Russia declared a partial mobilization of 300,000 personnel in late 2022, and has relaxed standards to allow recruitment of convicts and older civilians,” the assessment said.
In addition to personnel, Moscow has lost 1,300 pieces of armored vehicles. As a result, it is now compelled to reinforce its capabilities with outdated Soviet-era T-62 tanks.
Cover: Reuters
