Vladimir Putin is forcing wounded Russian soldiers back to battle on crutches as the Kremlin lost a staggering 48,000 troops last month alone.
New images have emerged showing exhausted and injured Russian combatants gingerly making their way through muddy trenches using walking aids.
The images shared on YouTube have not been independently verified, but a Western official source told the Sun: “We are also seeing signs Russians are recycling the wounded back into the fight. You’ll have seen video of troops on crutches being pushed back into the line.”
The official added that Ukrainian estimates of Russian casualties, dead and injured of nearly 50,000 in January, were “credible”.
Latest Ministry of Defence (MoD) figures say Russia is likely to have suffered more than 875,000 killed or wounded soldiers since President Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
A statement posted on X by the MoD this week added that: “January 2025 also saw the second-highest average daily Russian casualties in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with an average daily loss rate of 1,556, according to Ukrainian General Staff reporting.
“This represents no significant change from December 2024’s total of 1,570, the highest average daily Russian casualty rate of the conflict thus far.
“Russia’s casualty rate will likely continue to average over 1,000 a day in February 2025, reflecting the high tempo of Russia operations and offensives.”
Ukrainian forces have also sustained heavy losses during the war with Russia, but Kyiv has managed to maintain control inside the Kursk region of Russia after it made a surprise incursion into the territory in August last year.
Analysts predict newly-elected President Donald Trump will attempt to push for a ceasefire and peace deal between Ukraine’s President Zelensky and President Putin by Easter this year.
It’s thought Ukraine may be asked to make concessions of its territory in return for US funding and the arrival of an international peace-keeping force, potentially involving British soldiers.