Putin dealt major blow as Russian army death toll edges closer to horror 1m total
Russia has reportedly lost nearly one million troops since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to Ukraine’s military. They estimate around 950,860 losses so far, including 1,060 soldiers killed on April 28 alone, dealing another major blow to Vladimir Putin.
In a related development, South Korea’s intelligence agency says about 4,700 North Korean soldiers have been affected since North Korea began sending troops to help Russia. Out of these, 600 have died, and about 2,000 injured soldiers were sent back to North Korea between January and March, either by plane or train. This information was shared by a South Korean politician after a private briefing.
Just two days earlier, North Korea officially admitted that it had sent soldiers to support Russian troops trying to retake areas in the Kursk region of western Russia—territory that Ukraine had managed to capture during a surprise attack last year. This marked the first time Ukraine took land that belongs to Russia, while Russia still controls about 20% of Ukraine.
At the same time, the U.S. is trying to push for peace talks. Former President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican before Pope Francis’ funeral to discuss the matter.
However, the Kremlin doesn’t seem very hopeful. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Sky News that although the U.S. wants a quick resolution, the situation is too complex to be solved quickly. He said peace talks should happen directly between Ukraine and Russia—not with the U.S.—and added that President Putin is still open to talking with Ukraine, without setting any conditions.
