Looking at Syria and Iran and Russia's passivity in these conflicts, I now wonder whether Russia is still a regional power at all in the wake of the massive losses it suffered in the Ukraine disaster. It lost its status as a military world power in the first weeks of the invasion.
Russia came in unprepared for this war, and is not prepared for a traditional peer conflict, but is building out a LOT of drone production capacity which will now be decisive in regional wars.
It's not going to save Iran from US stratospheric bombers, but yes the capability to throw 200 de-facto cruise missiles and 4,000 FPV drones a day at the front lines is a huge threat to anyone unfortunate enough to share a border with Russia.
This is dubiously sourced and defies comparisons with other conflicts. These casualty figures are at the same level as total US casualties in World War 2. It beggars belief that a regional war can produce such casualties. By contrast total US casualties in Vietnam were about 211,000, and Korea, about 140,000. Given the sources for these Russian casualty figures there is a very high likelihood that these numbers are grossly misstated.
“Some people die in road accidents, others from alcohol – when they die, it’s unclear how. But your son lived, do you understand? He fulfilled his purpose.” - Putin, to the mother of a dead soldier.
The Economist reports that the war is causing a boom in some small towns in Russia. There's a big death benefit paid to the families.
>The estimate aligns with a recent study by the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which puts Russian military deaths at up to 250,000 and total casualties, including the wounded, at over 950,000. Ukraine has suffered very high losses as well, with between 60,000 and 100,000 personnel killed and total casualties reaching approximately 400,000.
I searched for the CSIS study to see what their methodology was and found a video
* Nothing. Nada. Literally zero evidence of any kind combined with literally zero analysis.
* An assertion that this number "proves" that it's not true that "Russia holds all the cards". They appear to want to rebut Trump's opinion.
* The final comment was about the military assistance bill and how important it was that it be passed.
There was also some random facts that look like they might support the original claim but which emphatically do not (e.g. amount of land taken).
The average Russian would of course also be equally inclined to believe their military industrial complex's PR lobby group when it makes unsourced claims like this. That's coz the average Russian is not too smart.
You forgot the last bit: Russia takes over Ukraine, deposes it's government, kills more people, erases it's culture and identity, snuffs out one of the few nascent democracies. Sends a message to all over regional and mid powers: if you want to just take over another country, even a democracy right on Europe's doorstep, you can. China invades Taiwan.
[+] [-] doener|9 months ago|reply
[+] [-] bpodgursky|9 months ago|reply
It's not going to save Iran from US stratospheric bombers, but yes the capability to throw 200 de-facto cruise missiles and 4,000 FPV drones a day at the front lines is a huge threat to anyone unfortunate enough to share a border with Russia.
[+] [-] drweevil|9 months ago|reply
[+] [-] Aloisius|9 months ago|reply
[+] [-] TiredOfLife|9 months ago|reply
Absolute floor of dead russians is 111 thousand
Korean war had 2.5 million military and about the same of civilian casualities. And it was 20 million country fighting 9 million country.
Population of russia is 140 million. And Ukraine 37 million.
[+] [-] aaron695|9 months ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] stavros|9 months ago|reply
[+] [-] Animats|9 months ago|reply
The Economist reports that the war is causing a boom in some small towns in Russia. There's a big death benefit paid to the families.
[+] [-] Trasmatta|9 months ago|reply
That "purpose" being dying for Putin's pointless and evil war. Fuck Putin.
[+] [-] Trasmatta|9 months ago|reply
[+] [-] amai|9 months ago|reply
-- Joseph Stalin
[+] [-] pydry|9 months ago|reply
I searched for the CSIS study to see what their methodology was and found a video
https://www.csis.org/analysis/evening-one-million-russian-ca...
...which explained:
* Nothing. Nada. Literally zero evidence of any kind combined with literally zero analysis.
* An assertion that this number "proves" that it's not true that "Russia holds all the cards". They appear to want to rebut Trump's opinion.
* The final comment was about the military assistance bill and how important it was that it be passed.
There was also some random facts that look like they might support the original claim but which emphatically do not (e.g. amount of land taken).
The average Russian would of course also be equally inclined to believe their military industrial complex's PR lobby group when it makes unsourced claims like this. That's coz the average Russian is not too smart.
[+] [-] csislktok|9 months ago|reply
>In That Number ... 1 million
With a link to https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-battlefield-woes-ukrai...
which has a PDF: https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2025-...
Which has a pageful of sources for the numbers
[+] [-] arctics|9 months ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] bmgoau|9 months ago|reply
[+] [-] doener|9 months ago|reply
What a grotesque reversal of the facts.
[+] [-] arctics|9 months ago|reply