Kiev claims that Russia's total casualties since the start of its invasion of Ukraine three years ago have reached one million.
This claim by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, published today, as Russia Day is celebrated in Moscow, is in line with assessments by Western intelligence services, but cannot be independently confirmed.
President Vladimir Putin received soldiers decorated for their service in Ukraine at the Kremlin on Russia Day, but neither he nor any other officials commented on the Ukrainian claim.
The UK Ministry of Defence also said in a statement that Russia has suffered over a million casualties, including around 250.000 soldiers killed during the invasion since February 2022.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington said on June 3 that Russia is likely to reach the one million casualty mark this summer, which it considers a "stunning and chilling milestone" for it.
Russia last reported its military casualties at the beginning of the war when it admitted that around 6.000 soldiers had died, and this year the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces claimed that Ukrainian military losses had exceeded one million.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last spoke about the losses of the Ukrainian army in February, when he said that 45.100 soldiers had been killed and 390.000 wounded.
Both sides' claims about losses could not be independently verified.
Russian attacks have continued despite talks on a potential ceasefire. At a meeting in Istanbul on June 2, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators exchanged memoranda containing deeply different terms for a ceasefire, making an agreement unlikely.
The only tangible outcome of the talks was an agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of fallen soldiers.
In Rome today, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised US President Donald Trump for his decision to begin direct peace talks with Russia.
At the same time, Rutte criticized Putin for appointing his aide Vladimir Medinsky, who rose to prominence in the Kremlin after writing a series of books about alleged Western conspiracies against Russia and also vilifying Ukraine, as the chief negotiator in Istanbul.
Also today, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kiev for an unannounced visit, noting that the increased Russian attacks send a message that Moscow "has no interest in a peaceful solution for the time being."
Pistorius underlined Germany's intention to help Ukraine build its own long-range missile systems and to finance the purchase of domestic material for this, and said that Germany will provide nine billion euros in support to Ukraine this year.
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