Austin: Russia has lost more than two-thirds of its pre-war army in Ukraine.

Russian losses from the war with Ukraine amount to two-thirds of their army

The Russian army has lost more than two-thirds of its personnel during the war with Ukraine. This was reported by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

According to Austin, Russia has lost over 700,000 soldiers in this war. This is more than their losses from all conflicts they have engaged in since World War II.

In November 2024, the daily losses of the Russian army amounted to nearly 1,500 personnel. Due to the inability to compensate for such a large number of losses with volunteers, the Kremlin was forced to recruit prisoners and contractors.

Lloyd Austin emphasized that the recruitment of troops from North Korea indicates Putin's desperation. Since the beginning of December 2024, losses among North Korean military personnel have exceeded 1,000.

The Ramstein-format contact group is considering assistance to Ukraine

The meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine Defense 'Ramstein-25' is taking place on January 9, 2025, at an airbase in Germany, chaired by Lloyd Austin with representatives from over 50 countries.

The U.S. is providing Ukraine with a new military aid package worth $500 million, which includes missiles for air defense, ammunition, and equipment to support Ukrainian F-16s.

Plans for the development of the Ukrainian army until 2027 in the fields of airspace, armored vehicles, artillery, demining, drones, air defense, information technology, and maritime security have been approved at the meeting.

President Zelensky also raised the issue of the possible deployment of partner countries' contingents on Ukrainian territory to deter Russian aggression.