World
Ukrainians dying ‘by the dozens’ in brutal counter offensive | World | News
Battling through dense Russian minefields, multiple lines of heavily fortified trenches and open fields with little cover from artillery fire, thousands of Ukrianians have died during their near-three-month counter offensive.
Casualty figures on both sides of the frontline have skyrocketed this year but accurate information on exact numbers has been difficult to determine.
Russia routinely underreports their dead and wounded while Ukraine has criminalised publication of the true death toll, citing military sensitivity.
But senior US officials with knowledge of the secret figures have admitted that as many as 500,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded in recent months, a stark increase from 2022.
The last Pentagon update on Ukrainian deaths was leaked online in April, estimating that 17,500 had been killed; the US officials this month said that the toll had risen to 70,000, while a further 100,000 to 120,000 have been wounded.
And while Ukraine has liberated a spate of small villages and cleared multiple lines through the devastating Russian minefields in the last few months, the rising casualty list is unlikely to abate.
Few in Ukraine failed to recognise the imminent cost of the counter offensive during the spring, as Russia tasked itself with finding out exactly when it would begin.
Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian opposition leader, told Express.co.uk that the counter offensive had become “taboo” among the domestic population since everyone knew someone that would be involved and could die during the advance.
For all the training from the West and heavy weapons donated to Ukraine, Russia had more than a year to prepare tens of miles of defensive fortifications and an advance to “sever the land bridge”, as was the lauded main objective, would mean having to break through each and every one of those lines.
In the first days of the counter attack, as Ukrainians crept through fields littered with mines while being shelled from above, soldiers in the south described it as “worse than Bakhmut”, which up until then had been the site of the bloodiest battle of the entire war.
In the first two weeks of the counteroffensive, as much as 20 percent of the weaponry Ukraine sent to the battlefield was damaged or destroyed, according to US and European officials. More significantly, thousands of troops were killed or wounded, officials said.
In the last two weeks, as Ukraine has punched holes through two flashpoints in the centre of the 600-mile frontline, Russia’s milblogger community has published dozens of videos purporting to show the destruction of more Western tanks and armoured vehicles, as well as Ukrainian soldiers.
But while the gains have been marginal and the casualty toll high, the Ukrainian attack has come at an even greater cost to Russian forces.
Russia’s military casualties, the officials said, are approaching 300,000. The number includes as many as 120,000 deaths and 170,000 to 180,000 injured troops.
Nonetheless, the reality of the scale of Ukraine’s casualties is laid bare in its cemeteries. Body bags arrive daily.
Margo, 26, a Ukrainian woman, guards a cemetery near the frontline in Donetsk in the east, where she records the particulars of those killed.
“The hardest is when you see a dead young guy who hasn’t even reached 20, 22 years old. And realising they didn’t die their own death,” she told the BBC.
“They were killed. They were killed for their own land. That’s the most painful. You cannot get used to this. It’s now getting to the point where it’s just about [helping] the boys reach home.”
When people think of massive man-made projects, artificial lakes aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. Skyscrapers, bridges, and tunnels tend to dominate discussions about amazing engineering. But while these structures often steal the spotlight, there is something fascinating about the world’s largest man-made lake based on surface area.
Created by flooding entire villages and forests, this enormous reservoir completely reshaped the landscape, forcing thousands of people to relocate while generating power and transforming transportation in the region. Lake Volta, located in Ghana, spans a staggering 8,502 square kilometres – about 3.6% of the country’s total land area.
Stretching approximately 250 miles (400km) from north to south, it was formed in the 1960s when the Akosombo Dam was built to harness the power of the Volta River.
The dam generates 912 megawatts of electricity, supplying most of Ghana’s power and even exporting energy to neighbouring countries such as Togo and Benin.
But the creation of the lake came at a significant cost. Entire forests were submerged, and 78,000 people were forced to relocate when 15,000 homes and 740 villages were flooded.
The project aimed to modernise the region and boost fishing, but it also disrupted traditional farming and livelihoods.
Despite these challenges, Lake Volta has become a crucial waterway, providing a cheap transport link between Ghana’s northern savanna and the coast.
One of the lake’s most striking features is its islands. Dodi, Dwarf, and Kporve islands sit within its huge expanse, with Dodi Island attracting tourists for boat cruises.
The lake’s western shore is also home to Digya National Park, a protected area with rich biodiversity.
In addition to tourism and transportation, Lake Volta has become the site of an unusual industry – harvesting submerged timber.
Logging companies extract tropical hardwood from the trees that were swallowed when the lake was created, producing a supply of environmentally sustainable wood without cutting down existing forests.
The Kremlin is jubilant after US President Donald Trump held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin over a ceasefire in Ukraine. A Russian source with knowledge of the call said it went “very well,” CNN reports.
Vladimir Putin‘s envoy Kirill Dmitriev also issued an update on the discussion, hailing it as “historic”. Writing on X, he said: “Under the leadership of President Putin and President Trump, the world has become a much safer place today!”
The conversation between the two leaders began at 2pm. It was earlier reported to be “going well”, according to White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Europe to be “at the negotiating table” for matters relating to the continent’s security during an official visit to Finland today.
Writing on X, he said: “Europe must be at the negotiating table, and everything related to Europe’s security should be decided together with Europe.”
Trump said before the call that he expected to discuss the division of assets and “power plants”, seemingly referencing the Zaporizhzhia plant, seized by Russia in 2022.
Writing on his platform Truth Social yesterday, he said: “Tomorrow morning I will be speaking to President Putin concerning the War in Ukraine. Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains.
“Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths from both sides, and it must end NOW. I look very much forward to the call with President Putin.”
He also told reporters on Monday: “It’s a bad situation in Russia, and it’s a bad situation in Ukraine. What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think we’ll be able to do it.”
We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.For the latest news and breaking news visit: [/
Ukraine launched a surprise attack in the Belgorod region of Russia, according to reports. The surprise move—with “heavy battles” underway—comes hours before Vladimir Putin is due to speak to Donald Trump on the phone about a war ceasefire. Reports were contradictory about whether Ukrainians had penetrated nearby villages Grafovka, Prilesye and Demidovka, with some reports insisting they had done so. The authorities were urgently evacuating residents from Grafovka village.
“At the moment, there has been no breakthrough of the border; border guards are fighting together with units of the Russian Ministry of Defence,” said war channel Two Majors. But it showed a video of a Ukrainian military vehicle ablaze on the border after a drone strike. Another Telegram report said: “Since the night they began to pull equipment and people to the junction of the Belgorod and Kursk regions. By the morning the enemy’s IMR [combat engineering vehicles] had cleared the passages in Prilesye, Grafovka and Demidovka. And then they went – tanks, quad bikes, infantry. Serious battles are underway.”
The news comes ahead of Trump’s call with Putin, which will occur between 1pm and 3pm UK time. Last night, Trump claimed “many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains” to be discussed. He added that he “very much looked forward to” speaking with Putin.
THIS IS A LIVE BLOG… FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES…
Bangladesh2 weeks agoDHS Autos Introduces Deepal S07 and L07 Electric Vehicles in Bangladesh
- Fashion3 weeks ago
Sign up to our Royal Style newsletter for the world of royal fashion | Royal | News
- Entertainment4 weeks ago
PS Plus Extra and Premium February 2025 games line-up release date, time and final warning | Gaming | Entertainment
- Sports4 weeks ago
F1 LIVE: Lewis Hamilton dealt Ferrari ‘difficulty’ as Max Verstappen ban discussed | F1 | Sport
- Technology4 weeks ago
Urgent UK Wi-Fi alert confirmed – check your router now or face worrying risks
- Sports3 weeks ago
Dan Ashworth lands new job after Man Utd exit as he works freelance | Football | Sport
- Travel4 weeks ago
The tiny European town ‘reminiscent of Italy’ just nine miles from Dubrovnik | Travel News | Travel
- Travel4 weeks ago
Europe’s ‘sunniest coastal city’ in Spain you must visit | Travel News | Travel
