Russia claims nearly 500,000 Ukrainian servicemen killed since start of war
- 23 April, 12:10
Ukraine’s losses in the ongoing war with Russia is nearing the half a million mark, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said.
Addressing a Defense Ministry meeting on Tuesday, Shoigu said the losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to almost half a million military personnel since the beginning of what he described as Russia’s special military operation. At the same time, he said that Ukraine was unable to achieve its goals during the counteroffensive that Kiev was preparing with the support of NATO. Shoigu stated that Western weapons did not prove effective in assisting Ukraine's counteroffensive. He pledged to escalate strikes against logistics centers and storage bases for Western weapons, emphasizing Russia's commitment to enhancing its armed forces in response to perceived threats from the United States and its allies. Touching upon the newly-approved bill passed by the US House of Representative on military aid to Ukraine, Shoigu said: "Washington intends to allocate almost $61 billion to the Kiev regime to prevent the collapse of the armed forces of Ukraine. Most of the appropriations will go to finance the military-industrial complex of the United States. The American authorities cynically declare that Ukrainians will die for their interests in the fight against Russia.”
Shoigu also announced that Russian troops would soon receive the first units of the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system, along with other advanced military equipment. He reiterated Russia's claims of capturing several villages in April and raised concerns about NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders, alleging the deployment of significant personnel and armored vehicles.
