Russia’s losses in Ukraine over 500,000 as Kyiv’s strike on nuclear radar causes alarm

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the death or injury of over half a million Russian soldiers, according to the latest figures from the Ukrainian military.

The toll of Russian casualties since February 2022 now stands at 501,190, with 1,110 recorded in just the past 24 hours, Ukraine said. Russia treats figures on its losses in Ukraine as a state secret and has not confirmed Kyiv’s tally.

The update from Ukraine’s military came as a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian radar station tracking nuclear missiles in Krasnodar has stirred concern in the West. The Russian facility was tracking incoming Ukrainian missiles, including the ATACMS given by the US.

Hans Kristensen, a nuclear arsenal expert at the Federation of American Scientists, said the move to hit the critical Russian nuclear facility was “not a wise decision on the part of Ukraine”.

“Bombers and military sites in general are different because they’re used to attack Ukraine,” he said. Kyiv hit the Armavir radar station in the Krasnodar border region last week.