More than 100,000 Russian servicemen have been killed or wounded since the start of the war in Ukraine, and Ukrainian casualties are likely similar, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the New York Economic Club, General Milley revealed “You’re looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded. Same thing probably on the Ukrainian side.”
The figures presented by General Milley, which could not be independently confirmed, are the most precise provided so far by Washington. The senior U.S. military official also hoped for talks to end the war, warning that military victory might not be possible for either Russia or Ukraine.
“There has to be a mutual recognition that military victory is probably in the true sense of the word maybe not achievable through military means, and therefore you need to turn to other means,” General Milley said. According to him, there is “a window of opportunity for negotiation.”
His remarks came as Russia ordered its troops to withdraw from the southern Ukrainian town of Kherson, a blow to Moscow’s military campaign. But Kyiv has reacted cautiously, saying the Russian army is unlikely to leave the strategic city without a fight. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has suggested the withdrawal is proof that Moscow has “real problems” on the battlefield.
