Putin suffers major blunder after revealing Russian losses
Vladimir Putin appeared to accidentally announce a rare admission on Russian war losses
Reuters
Vladimir Putin appeared to accidentally announce a rare admission on Russian war losses after "extremely fierce battles” raged in the south and east of Ukraine.
The Russian president made the comments on Tuesday during a press conference with military bloggers and war reporters where he was pressed on Moscow's response to the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Putin described Kyiv's operation as a "large-scale counter-offensive" powered by "reserves that had been stockpiled to this end".
But despite taking place "in several directions", their attack is not being "successful in any sector", with Ukraine suffering "big losses", he claimed.
Ukrainian service members ride a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the front line in the newly liberated village Neskuchne in Donetsk region
Reuters
Russian officials typically never reveal their own losses, but Putin rare choice of providing details of the damages suffered.
After claiming Russian losses "are one-tenth of the losses of the Ukrainian forces" he said: "As for our losses – let the Defence Ministry talk about other indicators and personnel – I said they lost over 160 tanks and we lost 54 tanks, some of which can be restored and repaired."
Ukraine, according to Putin, has lost 160 tanks and 360 armoured vehicles, which he claimed accounts for 30 per cent of all weapon supplies to Ukraine by Western allies.
He added: "There are also losses that we don’t see. They are inflicted by long-range precision weapons at masses of personnel and equipment.
"So, in reality, Ukraine has sustained heavier losses.
"By my calculations, these losses are about 25 or maybe 30 per cent of the equipment supplied from abroad.
"It seems to me they would agree with this if they count objectively.
"But, as far as I know from open Western sources, it seems that this is what they say."
A view shows residential houses heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine
Reuters
Oryx, an independent analyst of battlefield losses, counted less than 10 Ukrainian vehicles destroyed so far.
During the lengthy conversation with reporters, Putin was also asked who is to blame for the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on June 6.
The president maintained the line already embraced by the Kremlin earlier this month, saying: "It is clear who is to blame – Ukraine was working at this."
Ukraine, who confirmed last week its counter-offensive has begun, said on Tuesday they have recaptured a number of villages in the southeastern part of the country.