Ukraine: "400,000 Russian Troops Eliminated" - Why the West Finds It Hard to Believe

Claimed to have lost 30,000 but repelled 400,000 Russians
Russia claims 400,000 casualties, overwhelming the front
Controversy over inflated battle results amid shell shortage claims

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The Ukrainian government announced that it has lost 31,000 of its troops and killed 410,000 Russian soldiers in the two-year-long war with Russia, sparking controversy. If such an astonishing kill ratio of 1:13 were truly achieved, the Russian forces could not possibly be gaining ground on the front lines. Critics argue that Ukraine, which has been pleading for support due to a shortage of weapons, could not have achieved such results.

Western authorities also view the Ukrainian figures as excessively inflated. The U.S., the U.K., and others estimate Russian military deaths to be around 60,000 to 70,000, with total casualties including wounded ranging between 300,000 and 350,000.

Ukrainian Ministry of Defense: "410,000 Russian troops, about 6,500 tanks destroyed"

[Image source=TASS Yonhap News]

On the 26th (local time), the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense cited data compiled by its General Staff, announcing that since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, a total of 417,000 Russian soldiers have been eliminated over the two years of fighting. They also claimed destruction of 6,555 Russian tanks, 12,478 armored combat vehicles, 1,000 multiple rocket launchers, 7,707 drones, 1,910 cruise missiles, 25 warships, 1 submarine, and about 340 military aircraft.

Previously, on the day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a press conference stating that "31,000 Ukrainians have died" since the start of the war, and that the figures of 300,000 or 150,000 deaths cited by Putin and his liars are not true. Western authorities had estimated Ukrainian military deaths to be at least 200,000 as of May last year, with over 40,000 deaths alone, so this number is significantly lower.

Combining the claims of President Zelensky and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine appears to have achieved an astonishing kill ratio of 1:13 against Russian forces during the war. Since no army that shows such a kill ratio usually loses battles, there is a flood of criticism that the Ukrainian military is excessively inflating its combat achievements.

If deaths are 400,000, wounded would be 1.2 million... Russian casualties 1.6 million?

[Image source=TASS Yonhap News]

Controversy continues over Ukraine’s claim of 410,000 Russian deaths. In general statistics, the number of wounded soldiers in wartime is estimated to be about three times the number of deaths. According to Ukraine’s claim, this would mean over 1.23 million Russian wounded. Combined with deaths, Russian casualties would total approximately 1.64 million.

The problem is that the total number of Russian troops does not reach 1.64 million. Before the Ukraine war, Russia’s troop strength was estimated at around 900,000 to 1 million. During 2022 and 2023, Russia increased its forces, and in December last year, President Vladimir Putin approved further troop reinforcements, aiming to raise the number to 1.32 million this year.

Western authorities also consider Ukraine’s figures absurd. The U.K. Ministry of Defense released an estimate on the 24th putting Russian casualties at about 350,000. The U.S. Department of Defense estimates Russian deaths between 60,000 and 70,000, with total casualties around 300,000 to 350,000.

"Russian shells outnumber ours 10 to 1" Weapon shortages claimed while inflating combat achievements

[Image source=TASS Yonhap News]

Another reason Western authorities doubt Ukraine’s combat claims is Ukraine’s persistent assertion of shortages in shells and weapons. The Ukrainian military has repeatedly said it has only one-tenth the shells of the Russian forces and cannot withstand Russian offensives, urging the U.S. and the West for rapid support.

On the 26th, President Volodymyr Zelensky, after a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov in Kyiv, said at a joint press conference, "Unfortunately, only about 30% of the 1 million shells promised by the European Union (EU) have arrived, not even 50%," appealing that it is difficult to withstand Russian offensives due to shell shortages.

Ukraine’s recent withdrawal from the eastern military stronghold of Avdiivka, where air defense facilities were concentrated, is also reported to be due to shell shortages. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukraine’s Southeastern Tavria Operational Command, earlier noted on his Telegram account that "the enemy has a tenfold advantage in shells," warning that Russian offensives will continue.

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