THE COMBAT BOOT IS ON THE OTHER FOOT: Slowly but methodically, Ukraine’s tenacious defense of its capital Kyiv has shifted momentum on the battlefield, forcing some Russian forces to retreat and assume a defensive crouch, according to the picture painted by U.S., NATO, and Ukrainian officials along with outside experts.
Ukrainian claims of staggering losses inflicted on the beleaguered Russian army are being confirmed by NATO countries, with a senior NATO military official telling reporters yesterday that between 30,000 to 40,000 Russian troops have been taken out of combat — either captured, wounded, or killed. The official put the number of Russian combat deaths at between 7,000 to 15,000, roughly what the former Soviet Union lost in 10 years of fighting in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
