They refer to the Russian soldiers taken out of battle by death or injury at the hands of Kyiv's impressive and resilient army.
Former Brigadier Ben Barry, who served in the British Army, told The Sun that Putin’s crumbling forces had maybe two to three years left worth of resources. He added: “The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies is not clear. The latest UK estimate is broadly inline with Kyiv’s claims that Russia has lost 470,000 troops since the start of the full scale invasion on Feb 24 2022.
They trawled cemeteries for fresh gravestones, official public recored and death announcements shared by friends and relatives on social media.In December Britain said around 50,000 Russian troops had been killed as well as 20,000 Wagner mercenaries.