I've had the stance since the beginning of the war that both sides are lying about casualties both taken and inflicted, and we won't know the true cost for years if ever. I thought that the people in charge would at least have access to data that closer aligned with reality, but maybe they've been huffing the propaganda alongside everyone else
I do take Russia's claims a little more seriously, but that comes from some research I did on the reporting of the Battle of the Somme I did last summer. I read some english newspaper articles from the time and they were the obvious propaganda you would expect, while the article outlining what german papers were saying at the same time was much closer to reality. Of course this doesn't mean I blindly trust everything russian sources are saying but I'm not so fast to dismiss them as it seems most westerners are
This is the right take. It's hard to imagine that Ukraine has lost less than 100,000 deaths and 300-400,000 permanent disabilities based on mobilisation data alone. Russia 2-3 times this amount just on the nature of attack vs defence, though now with a better ratio as Ukraine weakens.
But really these are ballpark fugures at best. It could be half this, it could be an order of magnitude more. But it's definitely not Zelensky's 30k.
I really doubt that Russia is losing more than Ukraine. Artillery kills 90% of soldiers since WW1 and Russia is massively outshooting Ukraine. Russia seems to be outshooting Ukraine at least 5 to 1. The only time that Ukraine even came close to matching Russian artillery was during the beginning of the counteroffensive.
Some parts of the US probably have accurate figures, but the White House is notorious for only wanting intelligence that makes them feel good (which creates a self reinforcing cycle)
I've had the stance since the beginning of the war that both sides are lying about casualties both taken and inflicted, and we won't know the true cost for years if ever. I thought that the people in charge would at least have access to data that closer aligned with reality, but maybe they've been huffing the propaganda alongside everyone else
There's lying and then there's Ukraine's claims
I do take Russia's claims a little more seriously, but that comes from some research I did on the reporting of the Battle of the Somme I did last summer. I read some english newspaper articles from the time and they were the obvious propaganda you would expect, while the article outlining what german papers were saying at the same time was much closer to reality. Of course this doesn't mean I blindly trust everything russian sources are saying but I'm not so fast to dismiss them as it seems most westerners are
This is the right take. It's hard to imagine that Ukraine has lost less than 100,000 deaths and 300-400,000 permanent disabilities based on mobilisation data alone. Russia 2-3 times this amount just on the nature of attack vs defence, though now with a better ratio as Ukraine weakens.
But really these are ballpark fugures at best. It could be half this, it could be an order of magnitude more. But it's definitely not Zelensky's 30k.
I really doubt that Russia is losing more than Ukraine. Artillery kills 90% of soldiers since WW1 and Russia is massively outshooting Ukraine. Russia seems to be outshooting Ukraine at least 5 to 1. The only time that Ukraine even came close to matching Russian artillery was during the beginning of the counteroffensive.
Some parts of the US probably have accurate figures, but the White House is notorious for only wanting intelligence that makes them feel good (which creates a self reinforcing cycle)
I believe Scott Ritters numbers personally.