London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Ukraine war: Pentagon leaks reveal Russian infighting over death toll

Ukraine war: Pentagon leaks reveal Russian infighting over death toll

Leaked US documents have revealed that disagreements in Russia's security apparatus led to the defence ministry being accused of undercounting casualties of the war in Ukraine.
Russia has said very little publicly about the scale of its war deaths.

But the files show the FSB security service claimed officials were not counting deaths of the Russian National Guard, Wagner mercenaries and others.

Russia has already warned the leaks may be fake, deliberately dumped by the US.

However, the detail corroborates what was already widely known: that Russia's military and security groups have had frequent disagreements about the handling of the war in Ukraine and that Russia has avoided publicising the numbers of dead and wounded.

The FSB's reported calculation of almost 110,000 casualties by February is still far lower than numbers this week in previously leaked US documents, which estimated Russian losses at between 189,500 and 223,000 casualties, with 35,500-43,000 men killed in action.

Russia's most recent official figure dates back to September last year, when the deaths of 5,937 servicemen were confirmed.

The same document says under-reporting of casualties within the system highlights the military's "continuing reluctance" to convey bad news up the chain of command.

Commentators have often suggested that President Vladimir Putin has been shielded from the extent of Russia's losses on the battlefield.

Another leaked document labelled top secret refers to an "information war" between the defence ministry and Wagner's mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in February.

Prigozhin repeatedly accused the military of halting ammunition supplies as his men fought to capture Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

The leak quotes ministry officials suggesting that they find "allies of equal status to fight Prigozhin rather than doing so itself".

Tellingly, the assessment in the leak asserts that significant losses suffered by Russia's National Guard, or Rosgvardia, will "probably hinder Moscow's attempts to fully secure all of its annexed territories".

Rosgvardia troops have taken part in combat and helped organise Russia's rigged referendums that led to Mr Putin annexing four Ukrainian regions last September.

Little is known about the identity of the leaker, but the Washington Post has reported that he is a gun enthusiast in his 20s who worked on a US military base.

According to the Post, the leaker transcribed and then typed up the content of classified documents he had seen on the base, and then posted photos of the documents themselves.

Among the pages of photographed documents, one shows a US assessment of Russia's "grinding campaign of attrition" in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. It says barring an "unforeseen recovery" by Russian forces, Ukraine will be able to frustrate Moscow's war aims "resulting in a protracted war beyond 2023".

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has suggested that the US may have dumped the documents deliberately.

As a "party to the conflict" he argued that Washington may have sought to "mislead the enemy, that is the Russian Federation".

However, another intriguing leak cites Russia's Main Operations Directorate hailing a successful operation in early February aimed at convincing Ukrainian intelligence of a potential joint Russia-Belarusian offensive from Belarus.

As Russia's military campaign in the east stalled in the run-up to the anniversary of the war, there had been reports of a Russian military build-up in Belarus with the aim of reviving its failed invasion from Belarusian territory the year before.

Kyiv was forced to move troops to defend the area from possible attack, diverting them from the front lines in the east and south.

The leaked document cites a Directorate official recommending two more phases of activity in March "to further mislead Ukrainian forces". The leak makes clear the plans were being sent to Belarus's military chief for approval.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×