Vladimir Putin ‘lost nearly 160 generals and colonels’ since Ukraine invasion

Russia-Ukraine War: United States’ top general Mark Milley suggested that Moscow and Kyiv’s forces had each sustained more than 100,000 casualties since the war began.

Vladimir Putin has lost more than 1,500 military officers – including nearly 160 generals and colonels – since Russia invaded Ukraine, The Independent reported. Although, the Kremlin has been guarded in its public admissions regarding the scale of millitary losses in Ukraine but the most recent official figure was given in September by defence minister Sergei Shoigu at 5,397.

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen. (AFP)

Earlier this month, the United States’ top general Mark Milley suggested that Moscow and Kyiv’s forces had each sustained more than 100,000 casualties since the war began.

“You’re looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded. Same thing probably on the Ukrainian side. A lot of human suffering,” Mark Milley had said.

The US estimate of Russian losses appears similar to that given by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which claimed that 87,310 Russian troops have been killed.

The list of alleged Russian losses by Ukrainian colonel Anatoly ‘Stirlitz’ Stefan includes more than 150 colonels and lieutenant colonels, 205 majors, 296 captains and nearly 500 senior lieutenants.

At the highest rank, it also includes eight major generals and two lieutenant generals, but alleges that only five of those deaths have been confirmed.

This comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called for a special tribunal to be set up to ensure Russia’s top political and military leaders are held responsible for the invasion of Ukraine.