VOA News
KYIV, UKRAINE/WASHINGTON — The British Defense Ministry said Sunday that over the past two weeks, Russia has likely suffered its highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion of Ukraine, nearly one year ago.
The ministry’s observation is based on Ukrainian data saying that the mean average of Russian casualties over the last seven days was 824 per day, representing more than four times the average reported for June and July.
The ministry said the statistics are based on “likely accurate” Ukrainian data.
The uptick in Russian casualties, the ministry said, is “likely due” to several factors, including lack of trained personnel, coordination and resources at the front.
The United Kingdom (UK) intelligence update, posted on Twitter, also said Ukraine continues to experience a high attrition rate.
Russia’s war against Ukraine could continue indefinitely, predicted the leader of the Russian paramilitary organization, Wagner Group.
In a video interview, Yevgeny Prigozhin said late Friday it could take 18 months to two years for Russia to take full control of Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland of Donbas.
Prigozhin then said the war could extend for three years if Moscow decides to capture broader territories east of the Dnieper River.
The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that data from the Russian Federal Penal Service suggested a drop-off in the rate of prisoner recruitment by the paramilitary group since December 2022. – gb
