00:00 Amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a grim milestone has been reached
00:26 as Ukraine's military reports record casualties on the Russian side.
00:31 With 1,740 troops lost in a single day, this marks the highest daily casualty count since
00:39 the conflict erupted over two years ago.
00:41 The toll on Moscow's forces now stands at approximately 484,030 casualties since the
00:48 Kremlin's full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022.
00:52 According to statistics disclosed by Kyiv's armed forces.
00:56 The recent update posted by Ukraine's military also details significant losses in terms of
01:01 equipment, with more than 30 tanks and 42 armoured vehicles reported lost by Russian
01:06 forces within the previous 24 hours.
01:09 However, experts caution that casualty counts and equipment losses are challenging to ascertain
01:15 accurately, with both sides likely inflating the other's reported losses.
01:21 Despite the difficulty in verifying exact figures, the sheer scale of the war's impact
01:24 is evident as it enters its third year.
01:27 This revelation comes as Russia launches a new offensive in north-eastern Ukraine, further
01:32 intensifying the already devastating conflict.
01:36 International estimates vary, with the UK defence ministry suggesting total Russian
01:40 casualties surpassing 465,000, while French sources estimate around 500,000, with approximately
01:48 150,000 fighters killed.
01:51 The BBC's Russian service and Russian independent outlet MediaZona previously reported at least
01:58 50,000 Russian soldiers confirmed dead.
02:01 Despite the mounting casualties, Moscow has remained reticent about acknowledging its
02:06 losses, with official statements limited since September 2022, when Defence Minister Sergei
02:11 Shoigu disclosed just under 6,000 Russian fighters killed.
02:17 Ukraine too has suffered heavy losses, although updates on the toll of fending off Russian
02:21 assaults are rare.
02:23 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously stated that 31,000 Ukrainian troops had been
02:28 killed in two years of war.
02:30 However, Russia disputes this figure, claiming it lost 215,000 soldiers in 2023 alone.
02:37 The conflict has seen fluctuations in casualties, often spiking during drawn-out or fierce battles
02:43 for key settlements such as Avdeivka, a former Ukrainian stronghold.
02:48 Moscow's casualties are expected to increase further in the coming months, as Russia directs
02:52 more resources towards fighting in eastern Ukraine.
02:55 While the bulk of Moscow's efforts have recently focused on the eastern part of the country,
03:00 a new push on north-eastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region has been reported by Ukrainian officials.
03:06 This development has prompted Kiev to allocate additional resources to the border region,
03:10 as Russian shelling intensifies, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.
03:15 As the conflict persists, the northern border of the Kharkiv region emerges as the most
03:19 difficult area of fighting, according to regional governor Oleg Sinyubov.
03:24 The enduring brutality of the war underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution
03:28 and international intervention to alleviate the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.
03:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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