PUTIN’s battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of a war he expected to win within days.
Ukraine’s fierce resistance has ensured Russia has paid a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow.
Russian troops fire howitzers during drills in the Rostov region during a military exercising at a training ground in Rostov region, Russia[/caption]
Russian soldier fires Msta-B howitzer toward a Ukrainian position in the Russian–Ukrainian border area in the Kursk region[/caption]
The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely they cannot fight on.
Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine’s total territory – mainly in southern and eastern areas – which is a humiliating conversion rate.
Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers, because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his battle plan.
Dr Stephen Hall, politics lecturer at the University of Bath, said that as far as the warmongering dictator is concerned, things are heading in the right direction, so he will keep on condemning young Russians to their deaths.
He told The Sun: “Putin believes he’s winning the war. The Russian army is moving forward like it or not.
“He believes that he can outlast the West, that the West is weak.”
Russia’s strategy, Hall said, has been one of “meat assault”.
This relies on the logic that if you flood the front line with overwhelming numbers, “eventually some will get through”.
Hall said Putin has learned this strategy from his ruthless Soviet predecessors in World War Two.
Their idea was “ten men to every rifle”, which meant: “You pick up the rifle of a fall soldier. You keep going, you get shot. You’re next. Your buddy picks up your rifle.
“The Soviet army would eventually push through. So that remains the case in Russia.”
And that approach suits Putin just fine, because he “doesn’t care about his men”, Hall said.
He said the Russian people “know how to suffer”, which allows the regime to continue with its meat-grinder tactics.
The Kremlin also meets less resistance from the Russian people than a million losses should merit, because it simply lies to them, Hall said.
He said: “They’re simply not going to be told, especially in the poorer areas where Russia is recruiting – like Buryatia and Bashkortostan and elsewhere.”
Hall also explained why he has little faith in the peace negotiations bringing an end to the war any time soon.
Even if Ukraine makes land concessions, Putin won’t feel his goals are fulfilled.
Hall said: “Putin has been very clear. They’re not fighting Ukraine. Ukraine is the battleground. They’re fighting the West.”
“Ukraine has been forced to fight a war with two hands tied behind its back — a war that NATO would never fight.”
Hall said Putin’s hope is that “Ukraine will have to just accept whatever negotiations Russia is going to give […] because the West is going to tide over this war, and the Russian military is going to keep on going forward.”
Ukrainian Army soldiers use a 105mm American M101 Howitzer artillery piece on Ukraines northeastern frontline with Russia[/caption]
Putin’s men just clenched 20 per cent of Ukraine’s total territory[/caption]
Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day — over 1,140 Russian soldiers killed or wounded just yesterday, according to Ukraine’s military — Putin appears to be doubling down.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia’s total personnel losses since the invasion began now stand at approximately 1,000,340.
The tally includes not just dead soldiers but those so grievously wounded they can’t return to the battlefield.
The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia’s ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reportas.
The Kremlin tyrant declared them the “dominant force” in modern warfare and demanding faster development of “advanced weapons systems” with “the highest tactical and technical specifications.”
In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia’s navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions.
British volunteer fighter Macer Gifford, who previously fought alongside Ukrainian units, said the million mark is a tragic reminder of just how far off course Russia has veered under Putin.
“It’s another grim milestone in a war that’s dragged on for too long,” he said.
“It’s also a reminder that Vladimir Putin is a tragedy for Russia, as well as Ukraine. A million casualties is a horrifying figure to comprehend.
“There are millions of Russians who have now lost a loved one in Ukraine.
“Millions more have to deal with the physical and emotional injuries of the wounded.
He added: “Putin once compared himself to Peter the Great, but his legacy is now much closer to Stalin.
“The two men share many of the same delusions and a profound disregard for human life.
“Stalin once said, ‘A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.’ Since Putin has made no effort to end this war, it’s clear he feels the same way.”
