When it comes to disclosing the true cost of the war in Ukraine for Russia, the Kremlin has rarely, if ever, chosen to be honest. But occasionally, things slip out.
Last Wednesday, Mikhail Teplinsky, commander-in-chief of the Russian Airborne Forces, congratulated his troops on the anniversary of the division’s founding. He said how proud he was of the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine and reeled off the number of soldiers honoured as ‘Heroes of Russia’, as well as the 30,000 who had received other honours from the state. A video of his speech, below, was posted to the Russian ministry of defence’s social media channels and website.
But the video was taken down quickly because Teplinsky let some other figures slip. ‘I am most proud of the fact,’ he said, ‘that more than 5,000 injured paratroopers returned to the front after treatment, and more than 3,500 of our injured refused to leave the frontline at all.’
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