Putin's Claims on War Casualties: Controversy and Speculation

Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that Russian losses in Ukraine are significantly lower than those of Ukraine, estimating Ukrainian casualties at about 50,000 servicemen per month. Putin's assertions, made in St Petersburg to foreign editors, lack supporting evidence and are disputed by Ukraine and Western military analysts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russian losses in Ukraine were "several times less" than Ukraine's.

Putin, speaking to foreign editors in St Petersburg, did not disclose Russia's numbers of dead and wounded, which Ukraine and Western military analysts believe are significantly higher than Ukraine's.

He said, without providing evidence, that Ukrainian casualties amounted to about 50,000 servicemen a month.