warning
US politicians: Many victims in possible Ukraine war
A Russian tank during a military exercise. Photo: Uncredited/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Should there be a Russian invasion of Ukraine with corresponding fighting, the US government assumes that the number of victims will be high. Thousands of dead civilians are also feared.
According to a media report, representatives of the US government assume that there will be high civilian and military casualties if Russian troops invade Ukraine.
Between 25,000 and 50,000 people could die in the Ukrainian civilian population alone, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing unnamed senior US government officials. According to their estimates, the Ukrainian military would have to reckon with up to 25,000 dead, while up to 10,000 casualties could be expected on the Russian side.
In addition, an invasion of Russian troops in the neighboring country would trigger a wave of refugees. Most of the up to five million refugees would move to Poland.
However, it is not yet clear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a final decision about an invasion, the newspaper reported. The Russian military has already deployed around 70 percent of the forces that experts believe would be necessary for a complete occupation of Ukraine. The second half of February was seen as a possible time for the invasion – after the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. By then, the ground in Ukraine would have hardened due to frost, it said.