British intel estimates Russian military casualties in Ukraine at nearly 500,000
According to the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), “nearly half a million Russian soldiers” have been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As reported by Ukrinform, citing The Guardian, this was stated by the head of the intelligence agency, Anne Keast-Butler.
It is noted that this is the first time a senior British official has confirmed an estimate of Russian casualties in Ukraine.
Speaking at the GCHQ’s first annual lecture, Coast-Butler warned that “Russia is scaling up its daily hybrid activities against the UK and Europe, targeting the seabed, cyberspace, as well as critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains, and public trust.”
She noted that GCHQ, “in the face of such aggression and chaos,” is working tirelessly with partners to “mitigate and reduce the Russian threat.”
According to Keast-Butler, Britain is also thwarting Russia’s attempts to smuggle in Western technology, repelling its cyberattacks, and “countering reckless sabotage and assassination attempts.”
This specifically refers to the placement of incendiary bombs in DHL packages, one of which exploded in Leipzig, Germany, and the second at a warehouse in Birmingham, where it arrived by plane from the continent.
As reported by Ukrinform, according to Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Army Corps, Ukraine has a window of several months to seize the initiative on the battlefield in Russia and strengthen its position for peace negotiations.
Ukrinform photos can be purchased here