RUSSIAN casualties in Ukraine have hit an eye-watering 188,000 according to United States intelligence, The Sun can reveal.
The Americans also estimate that Vladimir Putin's invading forces have seen 2,000 of their tanks destroyed or captured by the heroic Ukrainians in 331 days of war.
The massive new figure of those killed or injured in battle was shared with allies at yesterday’s Western summit to drum up support for Ukraine held at Ramstein Air Base in Southern Germany.
It is a significant increase on the publicly estimated 100,000 Russian soldiers killed, wounded, or deserted since last February's invasion that the UK’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace outlined at the end of last year.
Top US General Mark Milley said Russia has suffered a “tremendous amount of casualties” – but stopped short of revealing the exact figure publicly.
Asked about Russian losses he said the toll was now “significantly well over 100,000”.
He said: “They have really suffered a lot.. I would say significantly well over 100,000."
But defence sources confirmed the startling estimate to The Sun.
Yesterday ministers and military chiefs from around 50 nations took part in the talks convened by US defence secretary Lloyd Austin at Ramstein – the main US airbase in Europe.
Speaking there General Milley added: “They have suffered a tremendous amount of casualties in their military, that includes the military and the Wagner mercenary group.
In comparison the Russians claimed they only ever suffered 15,000 losses in the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during the entire of the 1980s.
Our revelation comes as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt prepares a multimillion Pound uplift for the UK defence spending in March's Budget.
The Integrated Review of threats faced to Britain will be published in February, with Government sources suggesting enough cash will be handed to the MoD to reverse planned troop cuts and replenish stockpiles of ammunition and shells handed to Ukraine.
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