UK military chief: Half a million Russian soldiers killed since start of full-scale war
Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff said Russia has lost 1.5 million troops since February 2022, including 500,000 killed, with most losses occurring since January 2023.
British intelligence estimates that roughly half a million Russian soldiers have died in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The figures were reported by Sky News, citing the UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, Richard Knighton, according to "European Pravda".
According to Knighton, Russia's total military casualties since February 2022, including wounded personnel, are estimated at 1.5 million. He noted that the vast majority of these losses occurred from January 2023 onward.
Knighton stressed that these figures clearly illustrate the senseless and wasteful loss of human life for such minimal territorial progress and for what he called President Putin's illegitimate goal.
Economic toll
The British military chief also addressed the war's impact on Russia's economy, saying it has led to slowing economic growth, weakened consumer demand and persistently high inflation. He added that the damage to the Russian economy, to the welfare of its population and to its future prospects has been enormous.
In July, Estonian intelligence offered a similar assessment, saying Ukraine's successful air strikes on targets inside Russia — including, more recently, Wildberries warehouses — are inflicting tangible damage on the Russian economy. Estonian intelligence also noted that Russian authorities are tightening control over the population amid fears of growing discontent.
