Journalists calculate number of Russian conscripts killed, not including fatalities in Makiivka
As of 6 January, 539 Russian conscripts have been killed in Ukraine, not counting those killed in Makiivka, as volunteers and journalists have discovered.
Source: Joint calculation by the BBC (Russian service), Russian news outlet Mediazone and a team of volunteers of the number of Russian military personnel killed
Quote: "Based on publicly available data, we have managed to establish the names of 500 conscripts who have been killed in the combat zone on the territory of Ukraine since October. Another 39 people have died on the territory of Russia, most often, allegedly, because of heart problems and as a result of accidents or due to alcohol abuse."
Details: Reportedly, the number of Russians dying at draft centres continues to rise. In the past two weeks, three deaths have been reported at training centres for conscripts on the territory of Russia.
However, actual losses among the conscripts may be much higher, as many reports about soldiers who have been killed in Ukraine since October do not indicate their status.
As conscripts state, their units continue to suffer heavy losses for a number of reasons. These include intensive and precise artillery shelling from Ukraine, poor coordination of actions between different units of the Russian military, problems with communication and maps, as well as insufficient preparation.
Background:
- According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, 300,000 draftees joined the Armed Forces of Russia during the "first wave" of mobilisation, and 150,000 Russian conscripts allegedly have been sent to Ukraine.
- In late October, Putin announced that the "partial mobilisation" was over. However, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia continues mobilisation covertly, despite official statements about its completion.
- Ukrainian intelligence reported that further mobilisation will continue "according to the typical WWII scenario".
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