By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-20 16:01:40 | Updated at 2025-03-21 06:52:56
15 hours ago
Russia has suffered the largest troop losses since World War Two during its invasion of Ukraine, British intelligence has claimed.
The Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence update that up to 250,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Vladimir Putin began his brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The MoD added that despite the fact that Russia has, in total, 900,000 casualties since invading, 'Putin and the Russian military leadership [is] highly likely to prioritise their military objectives over the lives of Russian soldiers.'
The ministry added: 'They are almost certainly prepared to tolerate continuously high casualty rates so long as this does not negatively affect public or elite support for the war, and those losses can be replaced.
The Mod also accused the Kremlin of selectively recruiting soldiers from poorer regions of the country.
'Putin and the Russian leadership highly likely place significantly less value on the lives of ethnic minority Russian citizens from impoverished regions, with Russian recruitment efforts consequently focused disproportionately on these areas.
'Slavic Russians from urban centres such as Moscow and St. Petersburg have contributed disproportionately fewer service personnel than their poorer, ethnic minority compatriots.'
It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told EU leaders today that Moscow had continued strikes on Ukraine's energy system despite Russian President Vladimir Putin agreeing with US counterpart Donald Trump to halt attacks.
Russian soldiers patrol an area in Sudzha, the Kursk region of Russia, on March 13 after it was taken over by Russian troops
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told EU leaders today that Moscow had continued strikes on Ukraine's energy system despite Russian President Vladimir Putin agreeing with US counterpart Donald Trump to halt attacks
'Yesterday evening, another Russian strike hit our energy infrastructure', Zelensky (pictured) said
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Governor of Kostroma region Sergei Sitnikov in Moscow, Russia, March 20, 2025
'Yesterday evening, another Russian strike hit our energy infrastructure. We in Ukraine face this every day and night, you know it. And despite Putin's words about allegedly being ready to stop the attacks - nothing has changed,' Zelensky told an EU summit by video call.
Next week is expected to be pivotal for the invasion, and its potential end, as Russian and US officials will hold talks on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Donald Trump spoke to both Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky this week and the US is also due to hold talks with Kyiv in the coming days.
'These consultations will take place on Monday, March 24th, in Riyadh,' Ushakov said Thursday in comments published by the Kremlin.
'From the Russian side, they will be attended by Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Senate's committee on international affairs, and Sergei Beseda, advisor to the head of the FSB security service.'
Ushakov said he had confirmed this after talks with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Both agreed to send 'expert groups' for the talks, he added.
The delegations are due to discuss 'initiatives' that Putin and Trump spoke about regarding the Black Sea.
A Russian soldier prepares to raise a flag atop a house in Staraya Sorochina, a village in the Sudzha district of the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops
Russian soldiers ride a quad bike (ATV) in the village of Kazachya Loknya, which was previously held by Ukrainian troops and recently retaken by Russia's armed forces, in the Sudzha district of the Kursk region on March 18, 2025
A fighter of the Chechen Akhmat battalion walks inside a damaged Orthodox church in the village of Kazachya Loknya, which was previously held by Ukrainian troops and recently retaken by Russia's armed forces, in the Sudzha district of the Kursk region on March 18, 2025
Officials work at the site of destruction and fire after the Russian attack in Sumy, Ukraine on March 19, 2025
A fighter of the Chechen Akhmat battalion walks past destroyed houses in the village of Kazachya Loknya, which was previously held by Ukrainian troops and recently retaken by Russia's armed forces, in the Sudzha district of the Kursk region on March 18, 2025
The Russian FSB in 2014 admitted that Beseda was in Kyiv during a bloody crackdown on the Ukrainian capital in the midst of the country's pro-EU revolution.
He has been under Western sanctions since 2014.
Karasin is a career diplomat.
Kyiv has said that the US is due to hold talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia in the 'coming days'.
It is not clear if they will take place on the same day or if the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will meet.
