Pentagon: Russian troops estimated at 2,000 to 4,000 dead

LAST UPDATE 20:50

A senior Pentagon official today estimated that between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began.

Speaking before a congressional committee, Lt. Gen. Scott Brier, chief of the U.S. military intelligence service, said that this estimate should be viewed with caution because it came from a variety of sources.

A rare report by the Russian Ministry of Defense on March 2 spoke of 498 dead Russian soldiers.

CIA Director William Burns explained during the same hearing before the US Congress that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the result of a deep personal conviction of Vladimir Putin, who had accumulated “over many years an explosive mix of complaints and friendliness.”

The Russian president considered it “possible” to “redouble his efforts and try to crush the Ukrainian army without caring about civilian casualties.”

However, the CIA director also said he was “absolutely convinced” that the Ukrainians would continue to resist with “efficiency and vigor”.

According to reports that Russia is cutting off supplies to Kiev with basic necessities, the situation in the Ukrainian capital, a city of 2.8 million people, could deteriorate very quickly, says Lt. Gen. Scott Brier, director of the Military Intelligence Service. USA.

Speaking to the Information Committee of the House of Representatives, Berrier clarified that he does not know for how many days the supplies available to the population are enough. “But, with the supply cut, the situation will become desperate in ten days to two weeks, I would say,” he added.

Mr Berrier also said the United States had no evidence that Russia had committed war crimes in Ukraine other than those posted on social media. “The bombing of schools and facilities not affiliated with the Ukrainian army would certainly indicate that (Russia) is crossing this line if it has not already done so.”

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ