More Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine in a year than losses since World War II, a think tank claims

The total Russian death toll in Ukraine may have exceeded all deaths in the country’s 16 military operations since World War II, it has been claimed.

The rate of monthly soldiers killed in the first year of the war was 25 times higher than in Chechnya and 35 times higher than in the Soviet Union’s ten-year war in Afghanistan, a US think tank said.

Russian troops are believed to die five times as often as Ukrainians, totaling about 70,000.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said Russia has suffered between 13,000 and 25,000 deaths in the two Chechen wars – meaning the death toll in Ukraine in a year could be five times higher than the death toll in Chechnya in almost 15 years.

Among the victims of the first attack on Ukraine in February last year were elite regiments, which are now being replenished with reluctant recruits with little training and poor equipment.

Russian troops are believed to die five times as often as Ukrainians (Picture: A Ukrainian military member carries a mortar shell before firing on Russian troops)

Soldiers are enraged by their commanders’ tactics, such as being ordered at gunpoint to charge across open terrain (pictured: a Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 “Grad”)

Reports this week claim Russian teenagers now have the same life expectancy as those in Haiti.

It comes as more reports of mutinies among Russian forces in eastern Ukraine emerged yesterday.

Soldiers are enraged by their commanders’ tactics, such as being ordered at gunpoint to charge across open terrain. A video on social media channel Telegram showed Russian troops refusing to do so. One said, “You can lock us up. how long is it Five, seven, ten years? fight yourself. But for what? For whom? Life is more important.”

At least six Ukrainian civilians were killed and others injured when Russia launched 81 airstrikes yesterday.

The attack temporarily cut power to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and fueled new fears of a catastrophe.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has denied claims by the Kremlin that it tried to assassinate officials in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region. The pro-Russian enclave said Ukrainian agents intended to detonate a car bomb. Ukraine denied planning an attack.

Last month, pro-Western Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Moscow of plotting to overthrow her.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk