In two and a half years after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, 350,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded, which indicates the scale of the demographic catastrophe.
Points of attention
- The full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine led to mass casualties among the Russian military, which deepens the demographic crisis in the country.
- Putin recruits military personnel from poorer regions, excusing murderers and rapists for military service.
- Russia's military-age population is shrinking, and military technology is working in Ukraine's favor.
The Kremlin lies about the power of the Russian army
The publication notes that if anyone knows how to falsify numbers to support "weak causes", it is the Kremlin.
From Stalin’s manipulation of Soviet productivity statistics during his Five Year Plans, to Khrushchev’s exaggeration in the Cold War of his missile numbers, no entity has proved as effective at fabricating facts to demoralise, unsettle and outmanoeuvre opponents. Today, in a similar manner, Putin points at Russia’s 144 million citizens and argues, through his propaganda mouthpieces, that it is “impossible” for Kyiv to win his war, given Ukraine’s population is a paltry 37 million, notes author Francis Dearnley.
Raised on documentaries about the "unstoppable" Russian bear, able to tear its way through Eastern Europe, as it was during the Second World War, we forget that this is impossible in modern Russia. For Moscow, this is not even desirable, Dearnley believes.
He explains that Putin remains cautious about the number of men he recruits and where they come from, prioritizing conscription in poorer communities far from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
At the same time, Moscow's caution in this regard means that it is obliged to empty prisons, exonerating murderers and rapists, so that they can serve in the Russian army or mercenary formations. However, this resource is not infinite: Moscow is already turning to women's prisons.
But these are still relatively minor impediments when considered against broader trends. Russia’s fighting age population, at 14 million, is not gargantuan. With many not eligible or undesirable for recruitment for geographic reasons, the number shrinks further, the journalist continues.
He emphasises that the full-scale invasion deepened the demographic crisis in Russia. For example, the fact that 350,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded two and a half years after the full-scale invasion shows the scale of the disaster.
Russia is not as powerful as the Soviet Union: approximately half of the Soviet population came from what today are non-Russian countries — and even then, twice as powerful in numerical terms, it lost its war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. That conflict underscores that army size is only part of the equation. Indeed, many of the vital components necessary to win wars — like military adaptability and modern tech — work in Kyiv’s favour. That’s before one considers its will to survive as a free nation. And one cannot put a figure on that., the author summarizes.
What is known about Russian losses per day
As of July 15, Russia has lost 560,290 people. In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed:
tanks — 8214 (+8);
armoured fighting vehicles — 15826 (+15);
artillery systems — 15324 (+62);
MLRS — 1119 (0);
air defence systems — 892 (+2);
planes — 361 (0);
helicopters — 326 (0);
UAV operational-tactical level — 12148 (+41);
cruise missiles — 2398 (+2);
warships/boats — 28 (0);
submarines — 1 (0);
vehicles and fuel tanks — 20623 (+85);
special equipment — 2569 (+3).
