While the majority of news coverage in May focused on Russia’s claimed victories during its spring offensive in Kharkiv, a new report reveals that every advancement made by Vladimir Putin’s troops came at a considerable cost. According to sources from the United Kingdom and other Western intelligence agencies cited by the New York Times, over 1,000 Russian soldiers were either injured or killed each day last month.
However, the newspaper also quotes American officials who say that Moscow continues to recruit between 25,000 and 30,000 new soldiers per month – roughly the same number it loses on the battlefield. These officials told the newspaper that Russia achieved a critical objective for Putin in creating a buffer zone along the border to make it more difficult for Ukrainians to launch an attack on their territory.
However, Western officials said that this did not threaten Kharkiv and was ultimately halted by Ukrainian forces. The data comes at a time when a current Russian official in charge of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region says it is time to “burn everything Ukrainian to the ground” until “not a trace remains.”
Dmitry Rogozin, who was previously the head of Russia’s space agency, posted on his Telegram channel that there could be “no ceasefire” with Ukraine as it would mean “certain death for our children and grandchildren.” These comments come after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved three resolutions regarding Russia’s occupation of Ukraine, including the recognition of Russia’s intention to destroy Ukraine’s cultural heritage and identity.
