At least 7,000 Russian soldiers could have been killed in Ukraine so far as Vladimir Putin’s invasion gets “bogged down” and may now not be able to take Kyiv, Western officials have said.
According to one official on Thursday, Russia has suffered “substantial casualties” and was “not achieving a strategic breakthrough” in the war.
And they said an estimate of 7,000 Russian casualties was “not in any sense implausible”.
Russia is believed to be bringing in more troops to reinforce those already in Ukraine and that there was evidence of “very, very low morale among Russian forces.”
“Clearly this was not part of the original plan,” the official said. “It demonstrates the extent to which Russia has got bogged down.
“Not only is it not going the way it was planned, even as they have adjusted to a rather more grinding form of warfare, that is stalling as well.”
They added: “Ukraine has also taken losses and has its own challenges of supply, despite the valiant efforts they have been making.”
Western officials also said it was now unclear whether Russia would try to capture Kyiv.
“In my judgment an ill-judged ground assault on Kyiv, on a city as well prepared as Kyiv, with really determined and committed defenders, would be a very costly business,” one official said.
“They have got pretty bogged down around Kyiv. Small gains are being made incrementally. But Ukrainian resistance is fierce and mobile.”
However officials warned there was a “big concern” that given Russia’s hopes of a quick victory had been dashed, Putin might resort to brutalising the population and destroying towns entirely.
It comes as Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said a neutral military status for Ukraine is being “seriously discussed” by the two sides, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s demands for ending the war are becoming “more realistic”.