Russia has lost more than one million troops in the three-and-a-half years since launching the attempted invasion of Ukraine.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin has lost 1,020,010 soldiers after starting the campaign back in February, 2022.
Russia also lost 10,980 tanks, 22,922 armoured fighting vehicles, 53,593 vehicles and fuel tanks, as well as 29,718 artillery systems, 1,427 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,190 air defence systems, 420 airplanes, 340 helicopters, 42,796 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
It remains unclear whether these statistics include any of the 11,000 soldiers North Korea have sent over to join the war effort over the past nine months.
It is believed Kim Jong Un has lost at least 6,000 soliders, with the decision to help out Putin reportedly not going down well at home – leading to officials offering families of the dead the ‘rare priviledge’ of movoing to the capital and working on a memorial to appease them.
In comparison, based on data from the Institute for the Study of War, at least 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers have either been killed or injured, while another 35,000 have been declared missing in action (MIA).
The war between Russia and Ukraine is regarded as the largest and deadliest in Europe since World War II, which itself had a total death count of up to 20 million.
Before the invasion commenced, as part of a national address, Putin declared: “Today’s events are not connected with the desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
“They are connected with the protection of Russia itself from those who took Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and its people.
“The fate of Russia is in the reliable hands of our multinational people, and this means that the decisions made will be implemented, the goals set will be achieved, the security of our Motherland will be reliably guaranteed. I believe in your support, in that invincible strength that our love for the Fatherland gives us.”
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted in response: “Russia treacherously attacked our state in the morning, as Nazi Germany did. As of today, our countries are on different sides of world history.
“Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and won’t give up its freedom no matter what Moscow thinks.”
The conflict remains ongoing and is showing no sign of slowing down following failed peacetalks and ceasefire negotiations.