US estimate
Almost 500,000 dead and injured soldiers in the Ukraine war
According to US government officials, the number of soldiers killed or wounded could be close to half a million. The fierce battles around Bachmut are said to have claimed a particularly large number of victims.
According to the report, the unnamed US officials on the Russian side estimate 120,000 soldiers killed and 170,000 to 180,000 wounded. For Ukraine, they spoke of around 70,000 soldiers killed and 100,000 to 120,000 injured. These numbers cannot be independently verified.
In November, US Chief of Staff Mark Milley put the number of soldiers killed or wounded on both sides at more than 100,000. According to the “New York Times”, the numbers rose sharply in the winter and spring, with the report referring in particular to months of fierce fighting for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. In addition, thousands of Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded during the current counter-offensive, the newspaper quoted US officials as saying.
With the help of the West, Ukraine has been defending itself for almost 18 months against the Russian war of aggression that began on February 24, 2022.