«Today, we estimate the total losses of the Ukrainian side for the entire conflict at 450,000 people. 150,000 of them are dead» — such words without any evidence base were sounded on the YouTube channel Judging Freedom on January 4, 2023, by Douglas Macgregor.
As of January 17, 2023, the video has already received 171,079 views.
Can you trust the channel and the author himself?
Douglas Macgregor is a retired US Army colonel. Earned his reputation on the battlefield in the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991 and during the NATO operation in Yugoslavia in 1999. He held the position of senior adviser to former US President Donald Trump.
Douglas Macgregor. Source: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/dougmacgregor2018.png
As early as April 2022, the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine drew attention to his words in The American Conservative (ed. — a magazine published by the American Institute of Ideas. One of the most influential publications of conservatives). He stated that the only solution to the Ukrainian conflict is «peace negotiations and recognition of Russia’s legitimate security interests in the region.» Legitimate interests of Russia in another independent state. Sounds strange, right?
In his material, he is categorical: «Contrary to the Western media’s popular ‘Ukrainian victory’ narrative, which blocks any information that contradicts it, Ukraine is not winning and will not win this war.»
It is also worth adding a popular quote by Douglas Macgregor, which is reproduced by Russian propaganda:
«Since February 24, we have been hearing from Western leaders «Ukraine will win, win!» Yes, look at the map! They don’t win. They lost more than 100 thousand killed and 100 thousand wounded. A huge amount of equipment was lost, destroyed, and stolen. Yes, they barely stand on their feet. They have nothing to offer. They are waiting for the final crushing blow that will destroy them. <…> This is some kind of madness”, — he said on November 20, 2022, to the portal Pledgetimes.com.
Do you have a question for the media?
Judging Freedom is an anti-Ukrainian publication that tries to promote the narrative of Ukraine’s loss and tries to convince that aid only harms. As an example, on January 11, 2023, they published a post in which the author mentioned by us says that the USA contributes to the increase of corruption in Ukraine and makes the Ukrainian economy dependent on the USA.
As a conclusion, pro-Russian narratives are followed not only in Russian-language mass media, but also in American publications.
What is the real number of dead Ukrainian soldiers?
The Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Hanna Malyar, emphasized in the «Nich’na Varta» program that the losses will be classified until the end of the war.
Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Malyar. Source: https://cdn4.suspilne.media/images/129fcc87746d5f95.png
«Everyone is concerned about the number of casualties. Why is this information hidden? Because in military science, the tactics of the troops’ behavior, including, depends on the ratio of the enemy’s casualties. They count how many of the total number of casualties there are. And there is a certain percentage, after which any — which army is starting to change its tactics. So that the enemy does not have this information — this information is hidden. And that’s it. When the war ends — all this will not be able to be hidden at all. Now, while the war is going on, this is how it is,» said Malyar.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny. Source: http://www.golos.com.ua/images_article/orig/2022/03/070322/92-1.jpg
Currently, it is known from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that on August 22, 2022, 9,000 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine died during a full-scale war against the Russian Federation.
General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2019. Source: https://sud.ua/uploads/news/2022/11/10/1f7dcc3e58159f02a5ad1320c40b7530c8e8b818.jpg
If you analyze the American and European publications that write about the military losses of Ukraine, then they have a common primary source — data from the American general, chairman of the joint committee of the chiefs of staff of the United States Gen. Mark Milley.
«Russia’s war in Ukraine has left more than 100,000 of Moscow’s troops dead or wounded, and Ukraine has probably suffered a similar number of casualties, the United States’ most senior general said this week.
You’re looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded,” Gen. Mark Milley said in remarks at the Economic Club of New York in November. «Same thing probably on the Ukrainian side.»
As we can see, informed foreign sources give a figure almost 4.5 times lower than that of a retired US Army colonel who is now knowingly or not playing along with the Russian narrative regarding the catastrophic losses of the Ukrainian army.
Conclusion
A weakened Russia is trying to demoralize Ukraine and its partners. In that volume, there are figures promoting the narrative of huge losses of Ukraine and its troops, which are not reliable and verified by independent sources. The information war continues, as the battles continue on the fronts of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Therefore, more than once we will be offered to believe in embarrassing «news» that does not have any rational basis, or to involve «experts» in the information war, who will spread narratives beneficial to the Russian Federation.
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