We have the first casualty reports from Ukraine. They’re very preliminary but so far, the Ukrainians claim that they’ve lost 137 civilians and soldiers so far. They also claim that they’ve killed close to 1,000 Russian soldiers. These numbers are sure to spike in the coming days, but the Russian campaign is reportedly not going well. Yes, they’re pounding Ukrainian positions. They’re close to taking the capital of Kyiv, but the Ukrainians are not backing down. They’re fighting hard. They’re not fleeing. This is a huge country, and a lengthy insurgency is possible even after major cities have been taken.
That being said, the true Russian death toll might not be known as we have reports of Russian mobile crematorium that is aimed to cook the books on the true butcher’s bill Moscow facing Moscow with this invasion (via Fox News):
Russia’s cache of weaponry and machinery includes a mobile crematorium, which is mounted on a vehicle and can be deployed if needed during the ongoing, devastating invasion of Ukraine, Fox News has confirmed.
The mobile crematorium has been seen among the Russian troops that, led by President Vladimir Putin, continue their advance onto the neighbor country, The Telegraph reported and Fox News has confirmed.
Ben Wallace, the British secretary of defense, told The Telegraph the mobile crematorium could be used as a way to minimize the appearance of Russian military casualties. Footage taken in 2014 provides a glimpse into the machinery and its capabilities.
Russian forces forged ahead Friday in their efforts to take Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, using what was believed to have been a method of encircling the country following a series of airstrike attacks.
The advance on Kyiv is seen as an attempt to replace the Ukrainian presidency with a Kremlin-friendly regime.
Kyiv could fall this weekend. Within 96 hours, the city could be surrounded as Russian troops move in from Belarus. They’re reportedly just 20 miles from the city. Ukraine faced a total invasion on Tuesday after Russian troops entered the eastern part of the country, the rebel-held areas, on Monday.