Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, criticized an American paper for peddling false information about alleged Russian losses without verification.
He said the New York Times is guilty of spreading fake news regarding Russian casualties suffered in Ukraine. The NYT report is another story disseminated by Western media to cover the failing proxy war in Ukraine pushed by neocons.
Western Media's Misleading Reports
Peskov mentioned that the NYT, not the US administration, was the source of information, claiming that prominent western newspapers quickly and frequently distribute false information about Russian losses, according to RT.
According to a report published by The New York Times on Thursday, the Biden administration estimates that up to 75,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed or injured during the combat in Ukraine.
Peskov said the publication identified an anonymous legislator as a source who claimed to have observed a security briefing from the agencies in Washington.
The New York Times warned that estimates of military casualties on both sides are highly speculative and that numbers could fluctuate by tens of thousands, citing New on News.
Although he acknowledged that Ukrainian forces had suffered heavy losses, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky downplayed them. Compared to May and June, when there were 100-200 casualties each day, there were 30 combat deaths per day a week ago.
But Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, on July 4, issued a rebuttal calling the Ukrainian leader a liar. He said Ukraine lost as many as 5,500 troops in two weeks of fighting, and half were killed in action.
On March 25, The Russian Ministry of Defense updated its casualties, which numbered 1,351 and 3,825 injured in battle from the offensive's start.
Andrey Kartapolov, the head of the Russian Duma's Defense Committee, claimed in June that changes to military planning had prevented serious losses. Zelensky, however, suffered losses and destroyed arms.
Kyiv Threatens Massive Retaliation by Targeting Russia
Moscow forewarned Kyiv to expect a heavy punishment for attacking Crimea if it dared to try.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev predicted a major onslaught on Ukrainian leader Zelensky in the middle of July that would severely destroy the country.
To no avail, the US and cronies did not relent in giving Ukrainians long-range weapons to hit inside Russia, and all fears of a severe escalation were thrown out the window.
Washington has not yet consented to provide Ukraine with tactical ballistic missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers. These missiles can be fired from the HIMARS multiple rocket launchers that the US gave.
According to Eduard Basurin, spokesperson for the army of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Ukrainian forces might have obtained 300km-range HIMARS rockets.
The West's continued use of long-range weaponry, such as the HIMARS, in Ukraine, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has already forced Moscow to reevaluate the objectives of its military campaign in the neighboring nation. He noted that they now encompass several other Ukrainian regions besides Donbass.
The Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the false information pushed by the NYT on Russian losses as lies by the West to hide its failure in Ukraine.
Related Article : Russia Claims Hitting Harpoon Anti-ship Missiles in the Port of Odessa
