More than 5 lakh Russian troops killed in Ukraine: UK defence chief
In Short
Russia has lost 10,000 armoured and protected vehicles, close to 3,000 air defence and artillery systems, and over 370 aircraft and helicopters: Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Knighton
Share :
More than 5 lakh Russian troops killed in Ukraine: UK defence chief
Kyiv: More than half a million Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022, a senior British defence official said Friday. The dead are part of 1.5 million Russian casualties in Ukraine, Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the UK's Defence Staff, said.
The UK figures roughly coincide with those published by the Ukrainian military. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials. Moscow's bigger army is struggling to make headway on the battlefield.
Western officials and analysts say the Russian rate of advance has slowed significantly this year. Russia's armed forces have also lost an "enormous" amount of military materiel, Knighton told reporters.
That includes more than 10,000 armoured and protected vehicles, close to 3,000 air defence and artillery systems, and over 370 aircraft and helicopters, Knighton said. He didn't say what Ukraine's losses were. Neither Moscow nor
Russian drones targeted roadside gas stations in Kyiv for a second straight day Friday, as Moscow broadened its air war in what Ukrainian officials say is an effort to rattle civilians. The attacks struck two Ukrnafta gas stations, killing two people and wounding six at one of them, the prosecutor's office said.
Russian strikes on urban gas stations have intensified in recent months, mostly in regions near the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine. It is part of a campaign to disrupt civilian life and weaken morale that has also included attacks on food distribution hubs, sporadically leaving some supermarket shelves bare in the Ukrainian capital.
"Russia is systematically attacking places where it knows people will be spending their time going about their daily lives, seeking to maximize casualties, spread fear, and put pressure on Ukrainian society," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X late Thursday.
Authorities have urged residents not to linger near gas stations and other exposed infrastructure during air raid alerts. Ukraine is urgently trying to improve its air defences as Russia's invasion stretches into its fifth year, and on Thursday won pledges of more support from Canada.
