Leaked documents give Pentagon estimates of Ukraine and Russia losses, Kyiv disputes numbers
Pentagon estimated the losses of Russia and Ukraine in the war (Photo:REUTERS/Anton Vaganov)
The U.S. Department of Defense gave estimates for losses of the Ukrainian and Russian militaries in some of recently leaked U.S. classified documents, though the numbers could have been falsified, news agency Reuters reported on April 12.
In the “Russia/Ukraine – Assessed Combat Sustainability and Attrition” document, Russia’s losses are estimated at 35,000-43,000 killed and 154,180 wounded, with Ukraine having between 15,500-17,500 killed and 109,000-113,500 wounded.
Russia has also lost more equipment, with U.S. estimates reportedly at 2,048 tanks and 3,900 armored personnel carriers. Ukraine is estimated to have lost 468 tanks and 1,020 armored personnel carriers.
Currently, Russia has 419 tanks and 2,928 armored personnel carriers, with Ukraine possessing 802 tanks and 3,498 armored personnel carriers, according to the document, which however notes that Russia still has the upper hand in aviation and air defense.
At the same time, Ukrainian intelligence has said the numbers in the documents were forged and are a psyops (psychological operations – ed.) operation by the Russian special services. Sources for the New York Times, the U.S. newspaper that reported the classified document leak on April 6, have also said that information in the document may have been falsified.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov called the documents "a mixture of truth and lies.
"Reuters said its journalists were unable to independently verify the documents or establish their veracity.
Other classified documents that have been released contain operational reports, assessments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ capability, and U.S. and NATO plans to prepare Ukraine’s soldiers for a counter-offensive.
Meanwhile, a second batch of U.S. “secret documents” has been published on social media, which allegedly describing U.S. national security principles related to Russia’s war on Ukraine, China, and the Middle East.
Washington is investigating the leaks, seeking to determine the scale of the damage they have inflicted. The Pentagon believes that the publication of documents online is a serious threat to national security.
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