Putin spoke of Russia’s “enormous human resources” after losing 200,000 people in the war

While Russian military losses in Ukraine are increasing and, according to Western figures, exceed 200,000 dead and wounded, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to rely on “human resources”, which he believes will be enough to achieve any goal.

“We have huge resources. First of all, human resources, human resources,” Putin said on Friday at a meeting with members of the all-Russian public organization “Business Russia”.

According to the president, this is the key to the future of the country. “When it comes to the future, in fact, everyone has a future. Only it’s different. This is the key question. And I am sure that Russia has a good future,” Putin said.

“We know what we want and we know by what means we achieve our goals,” he added, without specifying what goals he was talking about (quotes from RIA Novosti).

Having assembled a force of 150,000-200,000 to invade Ukraine a year after the start of the war, Putin lost it almost completely. As of early March 2023, NATO and British intelligence estimated the losses of the army at 200,000. people, of which 40-60 thousand. died.

According to the American Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the armed forces rushed to conquer Ukraine suffered more combat losses than in all wars since World War II combined – 60-70 thousand people.

According to CSIS, Russia’s total casualties in killed and wounded range from 200,000 to 250,000. This figure included contract soldiers, reservists, and volunteers, as well as intelligence officers, Wagner PMC mercenaries, and self-proclaimed people’s militia fighters of the DPR and LPR. First of all, after the end of World War II, the Russian military died in Afghanistan (14-16 thousand), Chechnya (12-25 thousand), and before the full invasion of Ukraine during the fighting in Donbas (6-7 thousand), writes CSIS .

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace explained significant losses to Russia due to the fact that its military command massively sends infantry to storm enemy positions. According to him, Russia is fighting “almost like in the First World War.”