Russia admits 'significant' troop losses in Ukraine conflict

Agencies | Moscow

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Russia on Thursday has admitted to suffering significant losses on the battlefield as a result of the conflict with Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov briefly admitted that Russia had suffered a "significant" loss of its troops in Ukraine, calling the casualties "a huge tragedy" for the country in an interview with Sky News.

"We have significant losses of troops. It's a huge tragedy for us," said Peskov while replying to Russian losses.

When asked about the Russian President ending up in a war crimes case, he said, "No, he is not. We don't see any possibility for it."

In the latest move by the international community, Russia has been suspended from the Human Rights Council (HRC) in response to Moscow's attack of Ukraine in the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The UN General Assembly suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council in a 93-24 vote, with 58 countries abstaining.

Meanwhile, the European Union will commit a further 500 million euros (USD 543 million) in military support to Ukraine, European Commission President Charles Michel announced Thursday.

The pledge takes the EU's military aid to Ukraine to a total of 1.5 billion euros (USD 1.63 billion) since Russia launched its attack on February 24, he said in a tweet.

The European Peace Facility, created in 2021, is an emergency fund of 5.69 billion euros that allows the EU to quickly finance military operations and "preserve peace, prevent conflicts and strengthen international security," according to the EU.

Moreover, The Kyiv Independent reported on Friday that the Sumy region is completely free of Russian forces.

Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky announced on Facebook that the region is clear of Russia's forces, but that explosions may still be heard as rescue service workers dispose of ammunition left by the Russian military.