There are hardly any certainties in the Ukraine war. Ukraine has now published the number of Russian fighters in the country - but even that is not verifiable.
Kyiv - According to estimates by Ukrainian military intelligence, as of mid-May, several hundred thousand Russians are deployed in the Ukraine war. Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov put the total number at 400,000 fighters. During an appearance on state television on Tuesday (16 May), he also provided a breakdown by different units and clients.
The purely military component consists of about 370,000 soldiers, Budanov said. In addition, there are about 20,000 members of the Russian Guard, an elite paramilitary unit of the Russian Federation. Private groups provided another almost 7000,<> fighters. The latter include the Wagner mercenary troop under its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. This data cannot be independently verified.
Ukraine gives figures: 400,000 Russians in the country - but no personnel for offensive?
According to Budanov, very few foreigners are fighting on the side of Russia. "They never bothered to let foreigners fight," he said. "Rather, they have taken the approach of making up for losses in Ukraine through prisoners." Ukraine, on the other hand, apparently has some fighters without a Ukrainian passport in its ranks - most recently, a former Bundeswehr soldier told the Münchner Merkur about his experiences in the war. The mercenary troop "Mozart" is also well known.
According to the military reconnaissance of Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces currently do not have enough personnel to conduct large-scale offensives. Rather, the Russian military were preparing to defend conquered territories.
Russia's losses in the Ukraine war: There is no certainty
Ukraine estimates the losses suffered by Russian troops so far since the invasion began in February at just under 200,000. However, it is not clear from the daily updated statistics of the General Staff whether this refers only to the dead or also to the wounded. Actual figures on troop strengths or casualties are not published by either party to the conflict.
However, there are reports of recruitment attempts by Russia and its mercenary armies abroad. For example, there has been speculation about recruitment measures in Afghanistan. Just on Tuesday, the independent portal Meduza also published a report on the recruitment of former IS fighters. However, these are apparently more likely to be used away from the front line in Ukraine - in infiltration attempts, for example in Turkey and the USA.
Ukraine had also disclosed in detail the pay of its fighters in April. (dpa/fn
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