Russians Have Already Lost Approximately One-Third, or Greater, Troops than Afghan War

We have all read that the Russian invasion is going nowhere near what they anticipated nor for what they planned. It is much worse. We know that the Ukrainians have kept the Russian army itself out of several areas of the country and a few of the major cities, though the bombs reach inside the city. But it is tough to get a real measure as to how bad. Where does the situation stand in relation to similar wars, or what should be happening? We now have at least one decent measure.

Katty Kay, the BBC America correspondent, said on MSNBC: (Video Below)

“I was just reading up, looking back at the history of the Afghan war, and some experts believe that there were even fewer killed in Afghanistan, driving up the percentage., Russian soldiers died in Afghanistan, Ari, during the course of ten years. U.S. estimates now think that about 5,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine, in two weeks, and the amount of losses is enormous for the Russians,” 

The figures are simply jaw-dropping and there is an article in the New York Times, which suggests the percentage or Russians killed in Ukraine is even larger.  The Soviets, with more manpower in a USSR Cold War military, got ground down over ten years in Afghanistan. And the Ukrainians have already inflicted that number of casualties on a smaller national army?

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However,  we must be careful. We don’t know how much fight Ukraine has left in terms of personnel and supplies-provisions. Ukraine is much closer to Moscow and thus would be easier to resupply. Putin may be more reckless as he finds himself backed into a corner. Experts have told us he will not withdraw without victory. There are so many questions that cannot be answered right now.

One of the few things we know, the pressure on the Russian economy and the support given to the Ukrainians have worked. MSNBC just showed a clip of Republicans arguing that the U.S. should give Zelensky the MIG fighter jets, for which he’s asked, saying Zelensky is in the best position to know what Ukraine needs. It is a persuasive argument. But given what has been working, it would seem that intensifying the effort is obvious. Make the sanctions worse, and give the Ukrainians what they say they need.

The war is going better for Ukraine than thought possible. But so many questions remain. At least we now have one measure as to just “how bad” the war has been to the Russians.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJS0mgfui6M


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