Putin Marks 300 Days of Ukraine War: "Extremely Difficult Situation"... 100,000 Casualties

"Borders Must Be Firmly Protected" Declaration of Will to Continue War
UK Ministry of Defense "100,000 Casualties Since Russia's Invasion, Damage Expands"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the Ukraine war marks its 300th day, Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly admitted that the frontline situation is difficult. Western intelligence agencies pointed out that Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties so far and the damage continues to expand, indicating a bleak outlook. Despite the massive losses, the Putin regime continues to express its determination to sustain the war, raising concerns that the Ukraine war will extend beyond the year.

According to the AP news agency on the 20th (local time), on the 300th day of the Ukraine war, President Putin said in a video speech held on the occasion of the founding anniversary of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), "The situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia is extremely difficult," adding, "Russian citizens living here need the protection of the security service."

President Putin emphasized, "The borders must be firmly protected," and "Any attempt to cross them must be promptly and efficiently stopped using all available means such as mobile units or special forces." This is the first time President Putin has directly mentioned the difficulties of the frontline situation in an official setting.

Western authorities also assessed that the situation of the Russian military has deteriorated severely. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace stated before the UK Parliament on the same day, "More than 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, wounded, or abandoned in this invasion," and "Not a single commander from the operation launched on February 24 is currently in command. Russia has also lost a significant number of generals and commanders."

According to the UK Ministry of Defense, the Russian military has lost more than 4,500 armored and protected vehicles, as well as over 140 helicopters and aircraft, depleting its air force capabilities. In contrast, the Ukrainian military has regained 54% of the territory lost since the start of the war, boosting its momentum, the UK Ministry of Defense evaluated.

Despite the expanding damage, the Russian military is planning additional operations, raising concerns that the war will continue into the next year. Foreign Policy (FP), a US diplomatic media outlet, cited a source from Ukrainian intelligence, reporting that "More than 30,000 troops, including Belarusian forces and Russian mobilized personnel, are gathering near the border."

FP analyzed satellite images taken over Belarusian airspace and found that military equipment from Belarus was moving through newly created forest paths in the border area adjacent to northern Ukraine, adding, "From Vitebsk in Belarus, which borders Russia, to Brest near Poland and Ukraine, a distance of about 60 km, 310 soldiers and various equipment were transported together."

Ukraine is wary that more than 20,000 Russian troops may move to the Belarusian border to join forces and threaten the country. The shortest distance from the Belarus border area to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is about 90 km, making it possible for Russian forces to launch a swift counterattack, FP pointed out.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.