Russia's losses during the war in Ukraine have increased significantly in recent weeks, with the number of dead now comparable to the number of newly recruited soldiers. This makes it difficult for the Kremlin to compensate for the damage without resorting to new mobilization, according to assessments from several European countries cited by Bloomberg, News.bg reports.
According to the sources, one of the main reasons for the increased losses is the more effective use of combat drones. Drone strikes are increasingly killing, rather than injuring, military personnel, the governments of a number of European countries have said, without specifying which ones.
Data from the American analytical center CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) shows that since February 2022, Russia has lost up to 1.2 million people, including about 325 thousand killed.
In parallel, the BBC Russian Service, together with Mediazona, has identified from open sources the names of over 165 thousand Russian servicemen who died during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin refused to comment on the CSIS estimates, referring inquiries to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Russian military department does not publish official information about losses on the battlefield.