Commentary by Russian military blogger Andrey Chervonets
[Chernovec] According to the Ukrainian President, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the special operation are only 2,500 - 3,000 people
. Zelensky is voicing an absolutely clear and blatant lie. The proof of this is enough to look at just two numbers:
- only now there are more than four thousand Ukrainian soldiers in captivity, and this is after all the exchanges, when Kiev did not have an exchange fund left
- at least five to six thousand Ukrainian militants died in Mariupol alone.
Judging by these two figures alone, it is clear that Zelensky is lying, and by multiple times. But in addition to what was voiced, the Ukrainian side also suffers very serious losses in the Izyum, Donetsk and Nikolaev directions, receiving hundreds of losses in its rear from missile attacks by the Russian Armed Forces on barracks and places of concentration of troops. And this is only the Armed Forces of Ukraine, border guards and the National Guard - no one considers terrorist defense and mercenaries.
I noticed a long time ago that the Ukrainians underestimate their losses by exactly 10 times, overestimating the losses of the enemy in their statements again by 10 times.
Now. the estimated real losses for the Ukrainian side are at least 30 thousand dead military personnel, with prisoners and wounded, and all 70 thousand. Of the combat-ready units and subdivisions of Ukraine, staffed and trained according to NATO standards, about 40-50 percent died, the rest (about 30 percent) were withdrawn to the west of the country, others were given in small groups to reinforce the Donbass group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Speaking about the losses that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to suffer without signing surrender, it is necessary to take into account the fact that Kyiv is not completely independent in making decisions. The Americans are ready to fight to the last Ukrainian. Kyiv supplies meat for the war, no other functions are assigned to it. And they will regularly supply this meat.
Among the killed and captured, the bulk of the soldiers are not those of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who were in the army before February 24, 2022, but mobilized middle-aged men. Frightened, dirty, hungry, with a doomed look. And in fact, those who were captured pulled out their lucky ticket.
A typical example from a conversation with such a lucky man: "Our unit was thrown into the forest belt, the defense sector was indicated, after which the officers left. For three days we lay under fire, we lost half of our personnel. Then they saw Russian tanks and surrendered."
Many Ukrainian prisoners ask not to exchange them, they are ready to work on construction sites and clear rubble in order to sit out the events - those who have been to the war are beginning to understand it.
As for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, after the losses in the first period of hostilities, when there were many cavalry attacks with bare rears, the tactics changed dramatically. Artillery works first, then sweeping.
Slowly, but the losses are 1:7-1:10. Due to rocket attacks and air superiority, the Russian troops keep the advantage and significantly (by an order of magnitude) lag behind in the loss of equipment and manpower. About 100,000 soldiers from an army of 1 million have been sent to Ukraine, mobilization in Russia is not planned. But strengthening the grouping is required.
Returning to Zelensky and his statements, one anecdote comes to mind:
- Have you read Anna Karenina?
- Oh sure.
- What do you think of the heroine?
Heroin is a powerful thing.