Vladimir Putin has revealed Russia has lost 54 tanks so far in the nearly two weeks since Ukraine launched its counter-offensive.
In a rare admission of war casualties, the Russian President insisted his losses were much lower than Ukraine’s, claiming Kyiv had suffered “catastrophic” defeats, including swathes of Western-donated arms.
In an apparent slip-up at a meeting with military bloggers, he said Russia has lost 54 tanks in Ukraine since the start of the counter-offensive less than two weeks. Though he maintained that some of the tanks “can be repaired and brought back to service”.
“The enemy did not succeed in any of the points of the offensive,” the Russian president said as he claimed Ukraine was suffering “catastrophic losses in terms of personnel”.
Putin said Ukraine’s counteroffensive has been unsuccessful. He asserted that Ukraine lost 160 tanks and over 360 other armoured vehicles. Those claims could not be immediately verified. Ukrainian officials typically do not comment on losses.
In other remarks at the long meeting with military bloggers Putin said:
- He was not contemplating a new troop mobilisation, as many Russians have feared. But he did not rule out another troop call-up later.
- Russia’s defence industry has ratcheted up production of drones and other weapons but needs more, and the West is also struggling to produce more weapons and ammunition.
- Russia might pull out of a UN-backed deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine through a demilitarized Black Sea maritime corridor.
- The United States could stop the war by halting weapons shipments to Ukraine, leaving it too weak to carry on the fight.
- The West will eventually realize it won’t succeed in Ukraine. “They will never see it happen. Never.”
Sergei Goryachev, 52, chief of staff for the 35th Combined Arms Army, was reportedly killed by a Ukrainian rocket attack in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region on Monday night.
Goryachev is believed to be the country’s highest-ranked Russian soldier to be killed on the battlefield this year.
