CIA Director Bill Burns said Wednesday U.S. intelligence estimates that about 15,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine “and maybe three times that wounded.”
The big picture: Russian military deaths are classified as state secrets by the Kremlin, which hasn’t updated casualty numbers much since Putin’s forces first invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
- A March 25 report claimed 1,351 Russian troops had been killed in Ukraine, Reuters notes.
What he’s saying: Burns discussed the Russian military’s “significant losses” at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, and said “the Ukrainians have suffered as well — probably a little less than that.”
Situation report: “Russia continues to make minimal gains in its Donbas offensive, with Ukrainian forces holding the line,” according to a U.K. Ministry of Defense intelligence report Wednesday.
Source:axios.com