NBC NEWS
Russia’s winter push in Ukraine may have made little progress and at a “stunning” cost.
The Kremlin’s forces have suffered more than 100,000 killed or wounded fighters since December alone, the United States now estimates — outlining Moscow’s massive lossesas its military leaders scramble to recruit more men and prepare for an impending counteroffensive.
The figure, if accurate, could spell trouble ahead for President Vladimir Putin: He faces a second year at war with the land he has seized in Kyiv’s sights and his military’s struggles forcing the Kremlin to balance battlefield necessity with domestic pressures.
The casualty figure includes around 20,000 Russians who have been killed in about six months, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday, citing newly declassified American intelligence that the Kremlin swiftly rejected.
For comparison, around 4,500 American troops have been killed since the invasion of Iraq a decade ago.
“It’s really stunning, these numbers,” Kirby said…
