Saturday morning this side of the planet. Damp n cold in the big farm house. The sun has broken over the ridges but the thermal pleasures of sunlight are slow to make their presence known. Lady Godzilla is curled up in my lap. Its going to be a lovely day…
Its is Friday afternoon in Alaska.
Putin and Trump are in Anchorage. Pomp and circumstance the order of the day.
Some quick, loose facts about the Russia v Ukraine conflict:
| Breakdown | Casualties | Time period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilians in Ukraine | 13,580 killed, 34,115 wounded[f] (confirmed minimum, thought higher) | 24 Feb. 2022 – 30 June 2025 | United Nations[128] |
| Ukrainian civilians | 12,000+ killed (confirmed),[g] 16,000+ captive[h] | 24 Feb. 2022 – 17 June 2024 24 Feb. 2022 – 16 Dec. 2024 | Ukraine[131][132] |
| Russian civilians | 394 killed (in Western Russia) | 24 Feb. 2022 – 25 Dec. 2024 | 7×7[133] |
| 621 killed (including Crimea), 789 missing | 24 Feb. 2022 – 19 May 2025 | Russia[134][135] | |
| Ukrainian forces | 80,000 killed, 400,000 wounded | 24 Feb. 2022 – before Sep. 2024 | WSJ citing confidential Ukrainian estimate[2] |
| 60,000–100,000 killed, 400,000 wounded | 24 Feb. 2022 – 26 Nov. 2024 | The Economist estimate[99] | |
| <1,000,000 killed and wounded | 24 Feb. 2022 – 18 Dec. 2024 | Russian Ministry of Defense[74] | |
| 73,920 killed (incl. non-combat),[105] 75,253 missing, 4,578 captured (conf. by names) | 24 Feb. 2022 – 7 August 2025 | UALosses project[15] | |
| Ukrainian forces (AFU) | 70,000 killed, 35,000 missing | 24 Feb. 2022 – 4 Dec. 2024 | Yuriy Butusov citing sources within the AFU headquarters[136][116] |
| 50,000 killed,[137] 380,000 wounded,[101] 56,700 missing,[107] 8,000 captured[138] | 24 Feb. 2022 – 6 March 2025 24 Feb. 2022 – 17 Feb. 2025 24 Feb. 2022 – 30 Oct. 2024 | Ukraine | |
| Russian forces | 950,000+ killed and wounded (250,000 killed) | 24 Feb. 2022 – 3 June 2025 | Center for Strategic and International Studies[139] |
| 250,000 killed, 750,000 wounded | 24 Feb. 2022 – 12 June 2025 | UK estimate[140] | |
| 210,050–296,573 killed | 24 Feb. 2022 – 8 August 2025 | BBC News Russian estimate[78] | |
| 1,001,560 losses[i] | 24 Feb. 2022 – 13 June 2025 | Armed Forces of Ukraine[142] | |
| Russian forces (DPR & LPR militia excluded) | 165,000+ killed[j] | 24 Feb. 2022 – 31 Dec. 2024 | Meduza estimate[86] |
| 189,051–273,073 killed (122,883 conf. by names) | 24 Feb. 2022 – 8 August 2025 | BBC News Russian & Mediazona estimate[78] | |
| Russian forces (PMC Wagner) | 22,000 killed, 40,000 wounded | 24 Feb. 2022 – 20 May 2023 | PMC Wagner[143] |
| 20,000 killed, 40,000 wounded | 24 Feb. 2022 – 30 Nov. 2023 | UK estimate[144] | |
| Russian forces (PMCs Wagner, Redut & others) | 15,046–20,015 killed (conf. by names) | 24 Feb. 2022 – 29 July 2025 | BBC News Russian & Mediazona[78][145] |
| Russian forces (Donetsk & Luhansk PR) | 21,000–23,500 killed | 24 Feb. 2022 – 30 Sep. 2024 | BBC News Russian estimate[78] |
| DPRK forces | 600 killed, 4,100 wounded, 2 captured[k] | 14 Dec. 2024 – 30 April 2025 | South Korean estimate[148][149] |
| 6,000+ killed and wounded[k] | 14 Dec. 2024 – 15 June 2025 | UK estimate[150] |
There is quite a bit to go through here. Note the DPRK forces killed and wounded. Interesting, no?
The base line in my mind is this…
a) Russian losses:
| 1,001,560 losses[i] | 24 Feb. 2022 – 13 June 2025 |
b) Ukrrainian losses:
| <1,000,000 killed and wounded | 24 Feb. 2022 – 18 Dec. 2024 |
Im working the quantum out in my mind… I see 40 months = 24Feb,22-13June25… 1 million +- losses, combining killed and wounded on each side… so 25,000 losses monthly, 25,000 killed or wounded each month for 40 months, on each side of the grave-digging.
Quick comparison to The Viet Nam conflict gives us:
| US and allied military deaths | 282,000 |
|---|---|
| PAVN/VC military deaths | 444,000–666,000 |
| Civilian deaths (North and South Vietnam) | 405,000–627,000 |
| Total deaths | 1,353,000 |
This is roughly between 1960 – 1974. Gotta applaud the Russo-Ukraine warriors. They sure are doing a better job at killing than we saw in VN.
And this is just a look at the flesh and blood carnage. The damage to land, infrastructure, productivity and life in general is incalculable.
I’m wondering what this has cost… Found a decent discussion here: https://www.socialeurope.eu/what-has-been-the-cost-of-ukraines-war-and-who-pays
Some take aways:
The hard facts of three years of war—considering both economic costs and political consequences—present a stark reality. Ukraine is a fragile nation, its economy and war effort sustained only by Western support.
The destruction caused by the war has been immense. By December 2023, international institutions estimated the damage at $152 billion. Today, the United Nations predicts that the country’s reconstruction may cost $486 billion—roughly two and a half times Ukraine’s GDP.
Three years after the war in Ukraine began, this logic of war must be stopped. A new accord between Trump and Putin will not bring lasting peace to Ukraine. But Europe cannot pursue an agenda of war at any cost, nor should it chase dangerous ambitions of becoming a (small) military and nuclear power. Nostalgia for a fractured Atlantic alliance is of little use. Europe’s future now depends on its ability to end the war in Ukraine, initiate negotiations, and build a lasting peace order on the continent—through political means, not military escalation.
“Lasting Peace”… what does that mean?
I guess mankind is constantly looking for, waiting for yet another Lasting Peace.
More later
The Native Iowan 
Leave a comment