The first official information on the casualties of the Russian army was issued by the Ministry of Defence of Russia, announcing that 498 soldiers have lost their lives in the fighting in Ukraine and 1,597 have been injured.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that reports of “countless” losses were untrue and were propaganda by the media. The ministry spokesman also denied reports that Russia had sent military recruits and students to Ukraine.
A spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defence also said that the Ukrainian side had about 2.870 dead, 3.700 wounded and 572 prisoners.
From their side, Ukrainian sources say more than 5,300 Russian soldiers have been killed. A senior Pentagon official on Monday said there were about 1,500 casualties on each side.
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