I saw a number yesterday that just jumped out at me. More than 75,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since it invaded Ukraine on February 24.
That’s 75,000 in five months. How does that compare to other conflicts? The U.K. Ministry of Defense says that’s how many Russian soldiers were lost during the ten year war in Afghanistan.
That’s the price of war. 75,000 lives lost or injured in a senseless, stupid invasion.
Ukraine is suffering too. President Zelensky’s senior advisor says their military casualties are between 100 and 200 per day. That’s military not civilian casualties. That’s the price of this war.
And now this. Dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war appear to have been killed in a missile strike today. Who did it? Russia and Ukraine blame each other.
Reuters is reporting that Russia’s defense ministry says 40 prisoners were killed and 75 wounded. Russia also says Ukrainian forces did it using U.S. made rockets.
Ukraine denies carrying out the attack and blamed it on Russian forces. The price of war.
And this. The Daily Mail reports that horrifying video has emerged appearing to show a Ukrainian prisoner of war being castrated by Russian captors.
If this proves to be true, we will have yet another indication that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine. The price of war.
Here’s the thing. Russia expected a quick little war. In and out. Ukraine would be part of Mother Russia again. Let’s get the old Soviet Union back together.
It’s not happening that way. Michigan Representative Elissa Slotkin tells CNN that over 80% of Russia’s land forces are bogged down. “They’re tired,” she says.
War crimes happen when soldiers get tired and frustrated. They do stupid things.
Russia bit off more than it could chew when it invaded Ukraine. It never expected the resolve of the Ukrainian people. It never expected the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia didn’t expect that most of the world would support Ukraine. It’s important that it continues. This is not going to end soon.
The price of war. It’s expensive. In equipment. In lives.