Putin has recently repeatedly declared the counteroffensive by the Ukrainian armed forces to have failed. “The enemy is suffering heavy losses and has used up a significant amount of its reserves,” said the 71-year-old. “The myth of the invulnerability of Western military technology has also collapsed.” In a minute's silence, Putin remembered the Russian soldiers killed in the fighting. He did not give any figures on the losses. Foreign experts such as the Institute for War Studies (ISW) in the USA have recently observed that Russia is gaining ground with its advances.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the meeting that Ukraine had now lost 383,000 soldiers to death or injury in the war. Ukraine, in turn, currently reports the number of losses in the Russian ranks at 348,000 soldiers. The information cannot be verified. Neither warring party has released official figures for its own losses. Shoigu also said that the number of volunteers should increase by more than 250,000 to around 745,000 contract soldiers in the coming year.
Immediately before Putin's appearance, Russian anti-aircraft defense shot down a Ukrainian drone in the Moscow region, according to the Defense Ministry. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no injuries or damage. According to the state news agency Ria Novosti, Vnukovo International Airport reported restrictions on take-offs and landings in the wake of the drone attack around midday.
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