The British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said on Wednesday that “Russia is much more fragile than Russians want to admit.”
In a shocking statement Wallace said that “at least 230,000 and 250,000” Russian soldiers are either “dead or injured” since the war started in February 2022 which is an enormous blow for Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at the Tony Blair Institute’s Future of Britain conference, the outgoing Defence Secretary Wallace said he believes the war is “winnable” for Ukraine.
Wallace added, “I think Russia is much more fragile than the Russians want to admit, for sure.”
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Speaking about the short-lived rebellion in June by the Wagner chief Wallace said, “If you look at the generals being fired, you look at [Yevgeny] Prigozhin – if anyone predicted last year that Prigozhin was going to march on Moscow, General Surovikin who is currently resting in Moscow at the moment – he’s one of their most capable generals.
“So the splinter in the hierarchy of the Russian army is very real and the casualty rates are horrendous.
“It would not be wrong to say at least 230,000 to 250,000 dead or injured Russians.”
Wallace said that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is not “worryingly slow,” as Ukrainian troops are walking through minefields.
He said, “The Russians are just throwing mines everywhere – that of course slows it down. They are still advancing, albeit slowly on three fronts.
“It is not yet worryingly slow it is just brave men and women having to find their way through minefields.”
