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Ukraine war: US general estimates 200,000 military casualties on both sides

The most senior US general estimates that around 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured in the war in Ukraine.
Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also suggested that around 40,000 civilians had died after being caught up in the conflict.
The estimates are the highest offered yet by a Western official.
But he observed that signs Kyiv was willing to re-enter talks with Moscow offered "a window" for negotiations.
In recent days, Ukraine has signalled a willingness to hold some discussions with Moscow, after President Volodymyr Zelensky dropped a demand that his opposite number, Vladimir Putin, must be removed from power before negotiations could resume.
But speaking in New York, Gen Milley added that for any talks to be successful, both Russia and Ukraine would have to reach a "mutual recognition" that a wartime victory "is maybe not achievable through military means, and therefore you need to turn to other means".

The top general - who serves as President Joe Biden's most senior military adviser - said the scale of the casualties could convince both Moscow and Kyiv of the need to negotiate over the coming winter months, when fighting may slow due to freezing conditions.
"You're looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded," Gen Milley said. "Same thing probably on the Ukrainian side."
Both Ukraine and Russia jealously guard their casualty numbers.
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Moscow's last update in September said that just 5,937 troops had been killed since the start of the conflict, with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissing reports of a significantly higher death toll.
Gen Milley's estimate is starkly higher. By comparison, 15,000 Soviet soldiers were estimated to have died in the 1979-89 Afghanistan conflict.
Ukraine has largely refrained from giving casualty figures. But in August, the armed forces' commander-in-chief, Valeriy Zaluzhniy, was quoted in Ukrainian media saying 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died so far.
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"There has been a tremendous amount of suffering, human suffering," said Gen Milley. He also also noted that between 15 and 30 million refugees have been created since Russia launched its invasion on 24 February.
The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Moscow announced its troops would start to withdraw from the key southern city of Kherson - the only major city to fall to Russian forces.
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Gen Milley said that while "initial indicators" suggested that a retreat had begun, he observed that Russia had amassed around 20-30,000 troops in the city, and the withdrawal could take several weeks.
"They made the public announcement they're doing it. I believe they're doing it in order to preserve their force to re-establish defensive lines south of the [Dnieper] river, but that remains to be seen," he said.
The news of Russia's withdrawal from Kherson comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin called up some 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine in September.
Military experts in the West and Ukraine say the need for mobilisation showed that Russian troops were failing badly on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Source: BBC
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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