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Euractiv
a day ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Don't expect Putin to make peace any time soon
Konstantin Eggert is a Russian-born journalist with DW, Germany's international broadcaster. He is based in Vilnius and was previously editor-in-chief of the BBC Russian Service Moscow bureau. There are three impressions that stuck in my mind having watched broadcasts from Washington on Monday. To start with, Volodymyr Zelenskyy looked almost at home there, as opposed to the disastrous February visit. The European leaders also looked (and spoke) as if they finally understood – their common interest in containing and pushing back against Russia does not depend on who sits in the White House. And thirdly, Donald Trump never once called the Europeans "allies", as any other US president before (and, hopefully, after him) would – especially in such circumstances. But in spite of this, the Transatlantic alliance seems to still hold, even if with difficulty. The first impression is actually closely linked to a second one: The Ukrainian president no doubt felt reassured by the presence of the Europeans. He also seems to have understood that in modern-day Washington 'money talks' like never before in living memory. His offer to buy $100 billion-worth of American arms (ostensibly with Europe's blessing and financing) is a smart step that chimes in well with Trump's policy of "no freeloading", even by America's friends. And the US president seems to have appreciated this. But even bearing in mind his unpredictability and quick temper, the idea that he can throw Zelenskyy and Ukraine under Putin's bus with impunity is a fantasy. Always was. In spite of its reliance on Western help, Ukraine remains sovereign. Come to think of it, today it is more of a traditional nation state than some of the EU countries. This author, who first travelled to Kyiv in 1991 and continues to do so, can attest to this. Ukrainian society, although tired, will not accept "peace at any price'. Simply because a much better surrender protocol could have been signed with Vladimir Putin in 2021 or 2022, without so much death and suffering. Zelenskyy knows it too. His historical legacy – and possible political future – depends on giving Russia a good political and diplomatic fight before accepting any deal. If he does not, he'd rather not return to Kyiv from Istanbul, Geneva, Malta or wherever the future peace talks may be held. And by the way, he may never have to go there in the first place. At least, in the immediate future. If one looks at Putin's behaviour, there is nothing in it that says he is ready for such talks. His insulting offer to meet Zelenskyy in Moscow, if true, belies his ultimate goal – to sabotage the peace effort and blame it all on the Ukrainian leadership. 24 hours before the Washington talks, the Kremlin started rolling out new conditions to Kyiv and the West: giving the Russian language in Ukraine an official status (which means changing the Ukrainian constitution); restoring full rights to the Russian Orthodox Church (which Ukraine sees as an instrument of Russia's not-so-soft power); reiterating territorial claims; and finally, that no troops from NATO counties are deployed to Ukraine in the framework of security guarantees (this one is old). No side that wants to move towards the real deal would engage in such behaviour. Putin's main goal did not change. It is not so much a full-scale occupation of Ukraine – although he wants to keep what he got already. The aim is to put Ukraine under Moscow's full political control and limit its sovereignty, most probably by gradually promoting and installing in Kyiv a pliant administration that will forsake the goals of EU and NATO membership. He sincerely thinks that his economy can withstand more sanctions (with the help of China), that he still has enough Russians prepared to kill Ukrainians for money, and that Russia's demographic edge over Ukraine will bring him victory – with a bit of luck and patience. Putin's other goal is old and well-verified: to undermine the West. He wants to sow discord among Ukraine's allies, buy himself time to increase military production and find new ways and partners to game the sanctions regime. All this plus proving to Russia's international allies on the right and left, plus the so-called "global South", that Ukraine and its supporters are in the wrong and "his" Russia is in the right. Putin does not want peace talks. But talks about talks suit him just fine.
New Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
2024 was the deadliest year for Russian forces since they invaded Ukraine: Report
Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Three years on, BBC has reported that last year was the deadliest for Russian forces with at least 45,287 people getting killed. This is almost three times more than in the first year of the invasion and also exceeds the losses of 2023 by a considerable margin, the report noted. 2024 saw a month-on-month increase in the death toll, with Russia losing at least 27 lives for every kilometre of Ukrainian territory captured. The data collected by BBC Russian Service, in collaboration with independent media outlet Mediazona and a team of volunteers, identified the names of 106,745 Russian soldiers killed during the war. However, the military experts estimate that this number may cover between 45% and 65% of deaths, which may bring the number up to 164,223-237,211.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
27 lives per kilometre: How Russia took record losses in Ukraine in 2024
Last year was the deadliest for Russian forces since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine: at least 45,287 people were killed. This is almost three times more than in the first year of the invasion and significantly exceeds the losses of 2023, when the longest and deadliest battle of the war was taking place in Bakhmut. At the start of the war, losses happened in waves during battles for key locations, but 2024 saw a month-on-month increase in the death toll as the front line slowly edged forward, enabling us to establish that Russia lost at least 27 lives for every kilometre of Ukrainian territory captured. The BBC Russian Service, in collaboration with independent media outlet Mediazona and a team of volunteers, has processed open source data from Russian cemeteries, military memorials and obituaries. So far, we have identified the names of 106,745 Russian soldiers killed during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The true number is clearly much higher. Military experts estimate our number may cover between 45% and 65% of deaths, which would mean 164,223 to 237,211 people. 20 February 2024 was the deadliest day for Russian forces in 2024. Among the casualties were Aldar Bairov, Igor Babych and Okhunjon Rustamov, who were with the 36th Motorised Rifle Brigade when four Ukrainian long-range HIMARS missiles hit a training ground near the city of Volnovakha in occupied Donetsk. They had been ordered to line up for a medal ceremony. Sixty-five servicemen were killed, including their commander Col Musaev. Dozens more were wounded. Bairov, 22 and from Buryatia in eastern Siberia, had studied to be a food sanitation specialist but was drafted for mandatory military service and then signed a contract to become a professional soldier. In February 2022 he went to fight in Ukraine and was part of the battle for Borodyanka during his brigade's advance towards Kyiv in March 2022. The town was almost completely destroyed. Ukrainian sources say Russian soldiers were involved in the execution of civilians. Okhunjon Rustamov, 31 and from Chita in Siberia, had worked as a welder after serving a mandatory term in special forces. He was mobilised during a partial draft in October 2022. Unlike Rustamov, Igor Babych, 32, had volunteered to go to war. He had worked with adults and children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, helping them with physical therapy until April 2023. In total 201 Russian soldiers died on that day, according to our data. A few hours after the strike on the training ground, then-Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu met Vladimir Putin to bring him news of military success from the front line. There was no mention of the training ground attack, nor was there any word from the Ministry of Defence in its daily reports. A relative of Okhunjon Rustamov said she had already buried three close family members over the course of the war. "In December 2022, my husband died. On 10 February 2024, my godfather. And on 20 February my half-brother. From one funeral to the next." In our analysis, we prioritised exact dates of death for soldiers. If that wasn't available, we used the date of the funeral or the date the death was reported. In the first two years of the war, 2022 and 2023, Russian losses followed a wave-like pattern: heavy fighting with high casualties alternated with periods of relative calm. In 2023, for example, most casualties occurred between January and March, when Russian forces attempted to capture the cities of Vuhledar and Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. In the first year of the full-scale invasion, according to our calculations, Russia lost at least 17,890 soldiers. This number does not include losses from Russia's two proxy forces in occupied eastern Ukraine. In 2023, the number rose to 37,633. In 2024, there was no period showing a significant fall in casualties. Bloody battles for Avdiivka and Robotyne were followed by intensified assaults towards Pokrovsk and Toretsk. In August 2024, Russian conscripts were killed when Ukrainian forces stormed over the border into the Kursk region. From August 6 to 13 alone, an estimated 1,226 Russian soldiers died. However, the heaviest overall losses occurred during a slow Russian advance in the east between September and November 2024, according to leading US military analyst Michael Kofman. "Tactics emphasised repeated attacks with dispersed assault groups, using small infantry fire teams, which increased overall casualties relative to terrain gained," he explained. After almost two years of intense fighting, Russian forces seized the logistical hub of Vuhledar in Donetsk on 1 October 2024. According to estimates by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), from September to November 2024, Russian forces captured 2,356 square kilometres of Ukraine. Even then, Ukrainian forces at the front did not collapse. The cost of this advance was at least 11,678 Russian military deaths. Actual losses figures are likely higher. We have only accounted for soldiers and officers whose names appeared in publicly available obituaries and whose dates of death or funeral fell within this period. Overall in 2024, according to ISW, Russia captured 4,168 square kilometres of land. This means that for each square kilometre captured, 27 Russian soldiers were killed, and this does not include the wounded. Russia has found ways of replenishing its depleted forces. "Russian recruitment also increased in the second half of 2024 and exceeded Russian casualties, allowing Moscow to generate additional formations," says Michael Kofman. One-time payments to soldiers signing new contracts were increased in three Russian regions. Combat salaries for volunteer soldiers are five to seven times higher than the average wage in most regions. We also class as volunteers those who signed up to avoid criminal prosecution, which was allowed by law in 2024. Volunteers have become the fastest-growing category of casualties in our calculations, making up a quarter of those we have identified. In 2023-2024, thousands of volunteers who signed contracts with the Ministry of Defence were sent to the front lines only 10–14 days later. Such minimal training will have dramatically reduced their chances of survival, experts say. One Russian republic, Bashkortostan, has seen the highest numbers of casualties, with 4,836 confirmed deaths. Most were from rural areas and 38% had gone to fight with no military experience. The one-time payment for signing a Russian army contract in Ufa is 34 times the region's average salary of 67,575 rubles (£600). Calculating deaths from open source data will always be incomplete. This is because the bodies of a significant number of soldiers killed in the past months may still be on the battlefield and retrieving them presents a risk to serving soldiers. The true death toll for Russian forces increases significantly, if you include those who fought against Ukraine as part of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. An assessment of obituaries and reports of searches for fighters who have lost contact suggests between 21,000 and 23,500 people may have been killed by September 2024. That would bring the total number of fatalities to 185,000 to 260,700 military personnel.
BBC News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
27 lives per kilometre: How Russia suffered record losses in Ukraine in 2024
Last year was the deadliest for Russian forces since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine: at least 45,287 people were is almost three times more than in the first year of the invasion and significantly exceeds the losses of 2023, when the longest and deadliest battle of the war was taking place in the start of the war, losses happened in waves during battles for key locations, but 2024 saw a month-on-month increase in the death toll as the front line slowly edged forward, enabling us to establish that Russia lost at least 27 lives for every kilometre of Ukrainian territory BBC Russian Service, in collaboration with independent media outlet Mediazona and a team of volunteers, has processed open source data from Russian cemeteries, military memorials and far, we have identified the names of 106,745 Russian soldiers killed during the full-scale invasion of true number is clearly much higher. Military experts estimate our number may cover between 45% and 65% of deaths, which would mean 164,223 to 237,211 people. 20 February 2024 was the deadliest day for Russian forces in the casualties were Aldar Bairov, Igor Babych and Okhunjon Rustamov, who were with the 36th Motorised Rifle Brigade when four Ukrainian long-range HIMARS missiles hit a training ground near the city of Volnovakha in occupied had been ordered to line up for a medal ceremony. Sixty-five servicemen were killed, including their commander Col Musaev. Dozens more were 22 and from Buryatia in eastern Siberia, had studied to be a food sanitation specialist but was drafted for mandatory military service and then signed a contract to become a professional February 2022 he went to fight in Ukraine and was part of the battle for Borodyanka during his brigade's advance towards Kyiv in March 2022. The town was almost completely destroyed. Ukrainian sources say Russian soldiers were involved in the execution of civilians. Okhunjon Rustamov, 31 and from Chita in Siberia, had worked as a welder after serving a mandatory term in special forces. He was mobilised during a partial draft in October Rustamov, Igor Babych, 32, had volunteered to go to war. He had worked with adults and children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, helping them with physical therapy until April total 201 Russian soldiers died on that day, according to our data.A few hours after the strike on the training ground, then-Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu met Vladimir Putin to bring him news of military success from the front was no mention of the training ground attack, nor was there any word from the Ministry of Defence in its daily reports.A relative of Okhunjon Rustamov said she had already buried three close family members over the course of the war. "In December 2022, my husband died. On 10 February 2024, my godfather. And on 20 February my half-brother. From one funeral to the next." In our analysis, we prioritised exact dates of death for soldiers. If that wasn't available, we used the date of the funeral or the date the death was the first two years of the war, 2022 and 2023, Russian losses followed a wave-like pattern: heavy fighting with high casualties alternated with periods of relative 2023, for example, most casualties occurred between January and March, when Russian forces attempted to capture the cities of Vuhledar and Bakhmut in Donetsk the first year of the full-scale invasion, according to our calculations, Russia lost at least 17,890 soldiers. This number does not include losses from Russia's two proxy forces in occupied eastern 2023, the number rose to 37, 2024, there was no period showing a significant fall in casualties. Bloody battles for Avdiivka and Robotyne were followed by intensified assaults towards Pokrovsk and August 2024, Russian conscripts were killed when Ukrainian forces stormed over the border into the Kursk region. From August 6 to 13 alone, an estimated 1,226 Russian soldiers the heaviest overall losses occurred during a slow Russian advance in the east between September and November 2024, according to leading US military analyst Michael Kofman."Tactics emphasised repeated attacks with dispersed assault groups, using small infantry fire teams, which increased overall casualties relative to terrain gained," he almost two years of intense fighting, Russian forces seized the logistical hub of Vuhledar in Donetsk on 1 October to estimates by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), from September to November 2024, Russian forces captured 2,356 square kilometres of then, Ukrainian forces at the front did not cost of this advance was at least 11,678 Russian military losses figures are likely higher. We have only accounted for soldiers and officers whose names appeared in publicly available obituaries and whose dates of death or funeral fell within this in 2024, according to ISW, Russia captured 4,168 square kilometres of land. This means that for each square kilometre captured, 27 Russian soldiers were killed, and this does not include the wounded. How losses are changing recruitment Russia has found ways of replenishing its depleted forces."Russian recruitment also increased in the second half of 2024 and exceeded Russian casualties, allowing Moscow to generate additional formations," says Michael payments to soldiers signing new contracts were increased in three Russian regions. Combat salaries for volunteer soldiers are five to seven times higher than the average wage in most also class as volunteers those who signed up to avoid criminal prosecution, which was allowed by law in have become the fastest-growing category of casualties in our calculations, making up a quarter of those we have identified. In 2023-2024, thousands of volunteers who signed contracts with the Ministry of Defence were sent to the front lines only 10–14 days later. Such minimal training will have dramatically reduced their chances of survival, experts Russian republic, Bashkortostan, has seen the highest numbers of casualties, with 4,836 confirmed deaths. Most were from rural areas and 38% had gone to fight with no military one-time payment for signing a Russian army contract in Ufa is 34 times the region's average salary of 67,575 rubles (£600).Calculating deaths from open source data will always be is because the bodies of a significant number of soldiers killed in the past months may still be on the battlefield and retrieving them presents a risk to serving true death toll for Russian forces increases significantly, if you include those who fought against Ukraine as part of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's assessment of obituaries and reports of searches for fighters who have lost contact suggests between 21,000 and 23,500 people may have been killed by September would bring the total number of fatalities to 185,000 to 260,700 military personnel.
Al Arabiya
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
‘No comment': The Kremlin on report 95,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine
The Kremlin declined to comment Tuesday after Russian independent news site Mediazona in collaboration with the BBC Russian Service published details of over 95,000 Russian soldiers killed fighting Ukraine, based on open-access data. Mediazona published on Monday, the third anniversary of the offensive, an infographic with images and official reports of deaths of soldiers from various sources including social media, news reports and obituaries. It was presented as a graphic of thousands of photos of soldiers forming an image of a famous 1871 painting by Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin called 'The Apotheosis of War,' depicting a huge pile of skulls. Each entry includes accessible information on the soldier including age and date of death, region and unit and photograph in some cases. The online list at currently stands at 95,300. Mediazona and the BBC have been updating the list since the offensive began. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP on Tuesday he was not aware of the publication and neither confirmed nor denied the toll. 'I don't know if it's true or not,' he said, calling information on death tolls 'the exclusive prerogative' of the defense ministry. Russia rarely gives casualty figures for the conflict. The defense ministry said in September 2022 that 5,937 soldiers had been killed in combat. At the end of 2024, then-US defense secretary Lloyd Austin spoke of 700,000 Russian soldiers who were killed or wounded. Mediazona was founded by Russian opposition activist Pyotr Verzilov, who helped form the Pussy Riot punk group and has fought on the side of Ukraine. The site has been declared a 'foreign agent' by Russia and Verzilov has been put on a list of extremists and convicted in absentia for allegedly distributing false information on the army. The platform puts the Russian death total so far this year at 393 while it lists 26,102 death reports for 2024. But it says the real number of Russian deaths in the offensive must be much higher, since not all deaths are reported publicly. In conjunction with the independent news site Meduza, it estimated this week that 165,000 Russians had been killed, based on its own list and an official register of inheritance proceedings. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told US broadcaster NBC this month that more than 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and around 380,000 wounded, while other estimates have been much higher. Independent Ukrainian war correspondent Yuri Butusov said in December that his army sources estimated 70,000 dead and 35,000 missing.
