RUSSIA has suffered 40,000 casualties in its invasion of Ukraine, and Vladimir Putin is said to have purged a senior general in response.
To make matters worse, a member of the tyrant’s inner circle defected and fled Russia in protest of the war, becoming the highest-ranking Kremlin official to do so.
Putin expected a quick victory when he ordered the invasion, but fierce Ukrainian resistance has resulted in an increasing death toll, including several generals and senior officers.
When a pro-Kremlin newspaper revealed the figure, Russia unintentionally revealed it had lost 10,000 troops.
However, NATO has stated that the figure could be as high as 15,000, with total losses including wounded, captured, or missing totaling up to 40,000.
According to a NATO official, the estimate is based on figures or what Russia has revealed, either intentionally or unintentionally. If the estimate is correct, Russian losses in Ukraine in less than a month now equal those suffered during their ten-year war in Afghanistan, which ended in 1989.
Anatoly Chubais, a Kremlin insider, has now stepped down and left the country, citing his opposition war in Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.
On Tuesday, the 66-year-old climate envoy announced his resignation in a letter to colleagues and friends.
Chubais was involved in the economic reforms that followed the Soviet Union’s demise, but he remained in Putin’s government and maintained close ties with Western officials.
As a result of the faltering invasion, Putin is said to have placed General Vladislav Yershov under house arrest.
According to Ukrainian media, the 6th Army has lost 2000 soldiers under his command, including 180 conscripts performing national service.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who has not been seen in 12 days and is said to be suffering from “heart problems,” fired him.
He is regarded as one of Putin’s closest and most steadfast allies.
However, tensions have emerged between him and other top army and security officials regarding the conduct of the war.
Ksenia, his 31-year-old daughter, was recently photographed with her baby in Ukrainian blue and yellow.
Putin’s troops are said to have been duped, with some told it was a training exercise and others assured they would be greeted as heroes.
Ukraine is now littered with the charred remains of downed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles, as well as the dead bodies of soldiers, many of whom were teenage conscripts.
As the fighting takes its toll on Russian troops, reports of rage and low morale are emerging.
As he protested the horrific losses among his comrades, one soldier allegedly drove his tank into his commanding officer.
Colonel Yuri Medvedev was taken to the hospital with severe leg injuries following the reported incident.
In an apparent intercepted phone call, another complained about his troops getting frostbite.
Frustration is growing, as intercepted radio messages show troops calling the invasion a “s**tshow” and a “madhouse.”
