Who is dying for Putin’s war – new data from British intelligence
The Russian government is waging war against Ukraine mainly at the expense of residents of poor regions and ethnic minorities, while representatives of the elite almost do not participate in hostilities.
Thisis stated in the British intelligence summary.
British intelligence has noted that Russia continues to suffer very high casualties since the start of the full-scale invasion. Estimates suggest that in both 2024 and 2025, the number of killed and wounded exceeded 400,000.
At the same time, analysts note that ethnic Russians from large cities continue to make up a disproportionately small share of both the military and overall casualties, with the brunt of the war falling on remote and economically weak regions.
As noted by British intelligence, the independent Russian publication “Project” reported that less than 1% of Russian government officials have relatives who participated in the war against Ukraine.
London explains that recruiting new recruits in poor regions allows the Kremlin to use financial incentives more actively while minimizing discontent among the urban population, which has greater political influence.
Intelligence concluded that the Russian leadership was willing to put up with consistently high losses as long as it did not affect elite and public support for the war and as long as these losses could be quickly replenished.
It was previously reported that the Russian economy is facing serious challenges due to the war in Ukraine, and the situation may worsen further in 2026.
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