Washington is concerned about kyiv’s dwindling supply of ammunition, air defenses and experienced troops, the outlet says
US officials estimate that more than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the conflict with Russia broke out last February, Politico reported, without disclosing its sources.
Washington is concerned about Kiev’s lack of ammunition, air defenses and experienced soldiers ahead of a major Ukrainian offensive expected later in the spring, the US news site said in a report on Wednesday.
“More than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers died during this year-long war, US officials estimate, including the most experienced soldiers,” Politico wrote.
“A lot of these losses take place in Bakhmut”, he added. The city, which Russia calls Artyomovsk, is a key Ukrainian stronghold and logistics center of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Russian forces have been advancing on Artyomovsk since August last year and, according to the head of the Wagner Private Military Company Evgeny Prigozhin, have now almost completely surrounded the city and taken control of its eastern part.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly insisted he will not hand over Artyomovsk, despite reports of tensions with US officials, who have reportedly urged Kiev to pull out and cut its losses. Earlier this week, Zelensky again said the defense of the key city would be strengthened.
On Monday, the Washington Post reported: “American and European officials have estimated that as many as 120,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed or injured since the Russian invasion began early last year.”
Politico pointed out that Washington and Brussels can only guess at the extent of Ukraine’s losses, as Kiev keeps this information secret even from its Western backers, who have supplied it with billions of dollars worth of weapons.
Speaking after Wednesday’s virtual meeting of Ukraine’s Multinational Defense Contact Group, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said: “Ukraine has no time to lose.
“We must quickly and fully deliver on our promised commitments” in Kyiv, including deliveries of “armoured capabilities”, training for Ukrainian troops, spare parts and other things, he urged.
Last week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Ukraine had lost at least 11,000 troops in February fighting. The number of killed and injured on the Ukrainian side has increased by more than 40% since January when it stood at 6,500, he added.
“Support for the kyiv regime by NATO countries does not lead to the success of Ukrainian troops on the battlefield. On the contrary, there is a significant increase in casualties among the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” said the minister.
Shoigu last provided an estimate of the number of Ukrainian casualties in the conflict in September. At the time, he said they numbered over 100,000, with at least 61,000 soldiers killed and nearly 50,000 wounded.
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