Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine war, Britain says
Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers dead in Ukraine war, UK spy chief says 02:54
New intelligence shows nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Vladimir Putin launched his country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to Anne Keast-Butler, the new head of the UK’s communications and cyberespionage agency.
“While we remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine, Putin is moving backwards on the battlefield; new intelligence shows almost half a million Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the conflict.” Keast-Uşak he said on Thursday. Keast-Butler is the director of the Government Communications Centre, one of Britain’s three main intelligence agencies.
The GCHQ figure is the highest estimate of Russian military deaths on record from any government since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. Neither Russia nor Ukraine has published its own data on war casualties.
“The 500,000 estimate is a higher figure than the UK’s Defense Intelligence estimate,” said Michael Clarke, former Director General of the Royal United Services Institute, a security and defense think tank. Clarke watches the tactical progress of the battle. “But this residue should be considered an official estimate given its source.”
He added that the Russian death toll “could be higher” because they “have so neglected the wounded on the front line.” He noted that “a high proportion of them are non-Russian and almost all the non-Russians are sent to the frontline” and said this might be “another reason why fewer than normal survive being wounded.”
The scary figure came right after the incident New warning from Russia All foreign nationals – including especially diplomats – are told to evacuate from Kiev ahead of planned expanded attacks on military industrial targets in the Ukrainian capital. Russia warned of impending attacks on Monday, while the country’s foreign ministry said there would be a planned retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region last week.
Russian National Guard soldiers in St. Marching in formation during the rehearsal of the 81st Victory Day Parade on Palace Square in St. Petersburg. / Credit: Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
US embassy in Kiev will remain open
Earlier on Thursday, the European Union’s top foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, incorrectly said that the US embassy in Kiev was closed. Kallas was in Cyprus when he made the statement and was responding to a reporter’s question about the warning from Russia.
“So what they’re doing now is really increasing terrorist attacks, because you can’t describe it any other way, it’s creating fear in society. It hasn’t worked for four years, but I don’t think it will work now,” Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said. he said. “Also, as we heard from Ukraine yesterday, all embassies except one remained, which requires courage from those embassies. But yes, all the Europeans remained, America left.”
The US embassy in Kiev quickly corrected Kallas, writing on social media that the facility was open and “there has been no change in our operations.”
“Reports are otherwise inaccurate,” US embassy said wrote to x. “The State Department has no higher priority than the safety of Americans and regularly reviews the security situation at the Kiev Embassy. We reiterate our message that Americans should not travel to Ukraine for any reason due to armed conflict.”
The embassy also included a photo of Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Jim Hines, both Democrats from Connecticut, with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Julie S. Davis.
Members of Congress also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy posted a picture He spoke about the meeting on social media late Wednesday night and reiterated his views. more support requests Against Russia’s ballistic missile threat.
“We have a serious need for antiballistic missiles due to the ongoing Russian attacks. I sent a letter to the White House and the US Congress outlining Ukraine’s need for such missiles. Today, I personally delivered this letter to the members of Congress. We are confident that we will receive timely support.”
Ukrainian and Russian trade takes a hit as the “character of the war” changes
Russia carried out a massive bombardment of Kyiv and surrounding areas on Sunday. Nearly 100 missiles were involved in the attack. Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile – and 600 drones.
Monday’s announcement telling diplomats and other foreign nationals to leave Kiev warned that “systematic and sustained attacks” would target “decision-making centers and command centers” in the city.
On Thursday night, the Ukrainian military struck a massive Russian oil refinery in the southern Black Sea port of Tuapse that has been targeted many times in the past. Kiev has claimed that the refinery processes about 12 million tonnes of oil each year, including fuel used to mobilize the Russian military.
Rescue workers try to extinguish a fire in a residential building following the Russian attack on Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, May 24, 2026. / Credit: AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka
Meanwhile, the Russian army carried out air strikes on some parts of Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force saidHe added that air defenses intercepted 138 drones, including the Kinzhal ballistic missile and about 150 unmanned aerial vehicles. At least two people were killed in Ukraine the other day; among them was a father killed in a Russian attack on a residential neighborhood in Kherson, east of Odessa.
Analysts say Ukraine is regaining momentum on the battlefield. “The character of the war is changing in favor of Ukrainian forces, at least for now,” a May 25 report from the US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank said.
