US authorities estimate that nearly 500,000 soldiers have been killed or injured since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2021. The balance is more negative for Moscow, according to calculations revealed this Friday for the The New York Times: Russian casualties amount to nearly 300,000, including 120,000 dead. On the Ukrainian side, there are about 70,000 dead and 100,000 to 120,000 injured. But the number of Russian troops on the ground is three times the number of Ukrainians.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine publicly admit their victims, with Moscow reportedly counting low and Kiev opting for silence. But the numbers have deteriorated in the last months of winter and spring, mainly due to the fighting in eastern Ukraine (namely in the capture of Bakhmut) and the counter-offensive that continues to translate into tangible results on the ground.
According to Washington messagethe US intelligence services believe that the Ukrainians will not be able to recapture Melitopol – thus missing one of the main objectives of the counter-offensive. Regaining control of this southern city would cut the land bridge between Russia and the occupied Crimean peninsula. The Ukrainians are advancing from Robotyne, about 50 miles (80 km) away, but it is estimated they will still be a long way from the target.
On the 451st day of the war, the Ukrainian authorities got the news that the US finally approved the transfer of F-16 fighters from third countries – namely Denmark and the Netherlands – to Ukraine, once pilots have completed their training. “What we have done this week has been formalized through a letter from the secretary [de Estado Antony] Blink to its counterparts in Europe that, upon completion of this training, the US is ready in consultation with Congress to approve the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from third countries to Ukraine,” said the White House national security adviser, Jack Sullivan.
However, it is not clear when pilot training will be completed – a coalition of 11 countries will begin training in Denmark only at the end of this month, with first results not expected until 2024. , Kiev he was disappointed in the situation. “It is clear that we will not be able to defend Ukraine with F-16 fighters this fall and winter.” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said. In July, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, said 60 to 80 F-16s were needed to “close the airspace properly”, namely in the areas closest to the battle front.
Meanwhile, war is waged with drones. Russia revealed this Friday that it had destroyed more of these unmanned vehicles, both in the air and at sea, in Moscow and in the Black Sea. In the Capital region, the remains of the device fell into the Exhibition Center area and, according to local authorities, caused no significant damage (only the partial collapse of one of the outer walls of one of the pavilions) or casualties. Once again, the airspace near Vnukovo airport had to be closed for several minutes, delaying departure and arrival. In the Black Sea, two patrol ships would be targeted, which the drones managed to destroy with their own weapons.
Source: DN
