Over 90,000 Russian soldiers have died, cannot be accounted for, or have suffered such serious injuries that they are unable to return to service, independent Russian media project iStories reported on Wednesday, citing sources close to the Kremlin.
The figure falls roughly in line with estimates made by the Pentagon and other Western governments in late August, which stated that around 70,000-80,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or had been seriously injured since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace stated in September that of the over 80,000 losses the Russian army has suffered, some 25,000 soldiers were thought to have been killed.
But according to Moscow, which has announced Russian losses just twice during the invasion, 5,397 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine, an increase from 1,351 from the first update on Mar. 25, according to figures cited by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The 90,000 figure is the equivalent of almost half of the 190,000 Russian troops believed to have been ordered over Ukraine’s border in the initial stages of the invasion on Feb. 24.
Huge personnel losses in Ukraine amid fierece resistance have stymied Russian forces on the battlefield since the invasion began.
In the last month, President Vladimir Putin declared the “partial” mobilization of the Russian population to address Moscow’s troop shortage in Ukraine.
The new recruits are Moscow’s attempt to resist sweeping Ukrainian counteroffensives that have seen defending forces liberate territory taken by Moscow in the early days of the war.
