Nearly two years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon shared new figures on the cost of the war to Moscow.
The military operation in Ukraine has cost Russia a whopping $211 billion, and Russia has lost $10 billion due to canceling or suspending ** sales. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, at least 20 medium to large Russian seas have sunk in the Black Sea, killing or wounding 315,000 Russian soldiers. The data was shared with journalists by an unnamed senior defense **, in part because of the Pentagon's efforts to try to demonstrate the effectiveness of its aid to Ukraine.
The Pentagon's estimates show how high these costs are.
However, the ** said that the current state of war is unstable for Ukraine, not Russia. After months of defending the eastern city of Avdiyivka, the Ukrainian army there is on the verge of collapse. The capture of the city would mark Russia's biggest advance since the capture of **Mutter last year. The malaise on the front line is largely a product of ammunition shortages, which have become worse since the Pentagon ran out of aid to Ukraine late last year, the ** said. Warnings that the problems in Avdiivka may not stop there.
We think this could be a harbinger of what will happen if we don't get this supplemental funding.
This is the $60 billion in further aid requested by the White House last year, the ** said.
A version of the deal passed the Senate's bipartisan line this week, but had little chance of success in the House of Representatives, with Republican Speaker Mike Johnson saying he would not put it to a vote. During this period, the Ukrainian army is running out of ammunition and air defense, which help protect the country's critical infrastructure from Russian attacks, the ** said.
The United States is not the only country providing military assistance to Ukraine. This week marks the 19th meeting of Ukraine's Defense Contact Group, which has helped strengthen Kyiv's self-defense over the past two years. Canada has pledged $60 million to support the Ukrainian Air Force, and Germany has announced $1.2 billion in air defense and artillery programs.
It is worth noting, though, that this is the second meeting in a row in which the United States has not provided its own assistance, and this will continue if Congress does not adopt a supplementary agreement.
Our military has been trying to be as prepared as possible, but we definitely need this additional funding," said the **. "There is nothing that can replace it.