Russia lost hundreds of its soldiers and citizens in battles with Ukrainian anti-terrorist operation (ATO) forces in Donbas from the beginning of 2015 through September of 2015, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported.
“Since the beginning of 2016, 42 Russians have been killed on the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry possesses documents that confirm deaths or wounding of Russian citizens on Ukraine territory,” representative of the Defense Ministry’s intelligence directorate Vadym Skybytsky said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.
Skybytsky specified that 627 Russian solders were killed in the east of Ukraine in January-September 2015, while 2,155 people were wounded during the same period.
“I would like to stress, that a significant share of Russian army’s casualties has taken place after the signing of the Minsk agreements and following the prolonged aggression of the Russian occupational forces on the territory of our state,” he added.
What is more, Skybytsky said that the actual number of the Russian army’s casualties in Donbas was much higher.
He also noted that the Russian military leadership continued to cover up activities of its military in Donbas.
