The war in Ukraine is about to reach the 14-month mark.
On day 418, the Russian forces are still pushing hard in search of an operational breakthrough in the Donbas. Although they have made some little progress in the town of Bakhmut, the Russian military and Wagner Group private military company aren’t any closer to breaking the Ukrainian defenses.
On the other end, the Ukrainian military is getting ready to launch its counteroffensive. Kyiv has indicated that it would aim to attack sometime in May or June. The recent Pentagon leaks might delay the large-scale Ukrainian offensive, though the Ukrainians have stated that the leaks won’t affect the attack.
Russian Casualties in Ukraine: Update
Overall, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that as of Monday, Ukrainian forces have killed and wounded approximately 182,660 Russian troops, destroyed 308 fighter, attack, bomber, and transport jets, 293 attack and transport helicopters, 3,660 tanks, 2,804 artillery pieces, 7,087 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 538 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), 18 boats and cutters, 5,672 vehicles and fuel tanks, 285 anti-aircraft batteries, 2,247 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 328 special equipment platforms, such as bridging vehicles, and four mobile Iskander ballistic missile systems, and 911 cruise missiles shot down by the Ukrainian air defenses.
Mines in Ukraine
As if they hadn’t had it bad already, Ukrainian civilians are getting killed and maimed by stray mines.
The areas where the most civilian casualties are taking place because of mines are in the Kherson and Kharkiv provinces, respectively in the south and east of the country. Unsurprisingly, the Russian forces had occupied both areas for months until the Ukrainian counteroffensive pushed them back in September.
The Russian forces have repeatedly displayed an utter disregard for civilians, committing war crimes and crimes against humanity on numerous occasions.
“With the arrival of spring, and more people involved in agricultural activities, the risk of civilian mine incidents will increase,” the British Military Intelligence assessed in its latest estimate of the war.
Most civilians have largely evacuated the most contested areas of the battlefield, but there are still some who refuse to leave their homes and property. These are the most vulnerable to stray mines.
“Over 750 mine related casualties among civilians have been reported since the start of the invasion – one in eight has involved a child. It will likely take at least a decade to clear Ukraine of mines,” the British Military Intelligence added.
In addition to the military losses on both sides, which could be as high as 400,000 men killed or wounded, according to the latest Western intelligence estimates, several thousand civilians have been killed and wounded in the war so far.
“Russia must withdraw from the territory of Ukraine. All Ukraine and all occupiers. And every point of the UN Charter must work again – none of Russia’s violations of international law can be ignored,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a recent address to the Ukrainian people.
In yet another conflict, the civilians are getting the short end of the stick.
Expert Biography: A 19FortyFive Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Strategy and Cybersecurity at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
