Russia, Ukraine suffer heavy losses, as Israel mulls entering war

As at late Saturday, Ukrainian armed forces say they have inflicted heavy losses on Russian troops since the beginning of the invasion.

Some 3,500 Russian soldiers had been killed and 200 others captured, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said on Saturday morning.

In addition, 14 planes, eight helicopters and 102 tanks as well as more than 530 other military vehicles were destroyed.

Ukraine’s Defence ministry had earlier put Putin’s losses at a total 2,800 troops, 80 tanks, 516 armoured vehicles, 10 airplanes and seven helicopters, according to new totals released by Kyiv.

Ukrainian forces had claimed they had struck an airfield in Millerovo in Rostov, southern Russia – demolishing at least one of Russia’s fighter jets.

This is as Russia claimed it has captured more than 160 Ukrainian troops, destroyed 74 Ukrainian military ground facilities, shot down five fighter jets and one helicopter, and taken out 18 tanks.

During the past 24 hours around 37 Ukrainians, including several civilians, have been killed and hundreds others injured in fighting.

The figures being put out by both warring sides could not be independently verified.

Russian troops had been approaching the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv after advancing from Chernobyl, less than 60 miles north of the city.

Ukrainian troops had quickly up defensive positions across highways, on bridges and on street corners in preparation for what many believe could be a brutal battle over the weekend.

Heavy fighting is taking place in various parts of the country, the statement added, with Russian air attacks having taken place in the north-eastern city of Sumy, Mariupol in the south and Poltava in the east. Civilian targets were also hit in the capital Kiev, where street fighting broke out overnight.

Ukraine Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko said that Russian planes were shot down by the British equipment. Anti-tank weapons supplied by the UK were also used on Russian tanks, the ambassador said.

Prystaiko appeared to thank the UK for their support, but bemoaned a general lack of action from the West.

Speaking in London, Saturday afternoon, he said: “We should have started much earlier, maybe decades ago.That’s why we’ve been trying to get into NATO (for) all these years. Because we always believed this would come.”

He added: “Russia came from all four sides. We are putting up a real fight.

“Tanks, helicopters, planes being shot down. We are defending our land.”

Prystaiko, however, called for NATO forces to enter Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Israel I top officials are discussing entering the Ukraine/Russia war, deciding to persist in its efforts to get Israeli citizens out of the area and to prepare to send aid to Kyiv.

The meeting was led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and attended by Defense Minister Benny Gantz; Foreign Minister Yair Lapid; the IDF chief of staff; the national security adviser; and other top defense and diplomatic officials.

“During the meeting, they reviewed all of the ramifications of the crisis in different areas (diplomatic, financial and security),” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

The PMO said that after discussing the matter, the political leadership directed the country’s various ministries to focus on continuing to work to remove all Israeli citizens from the country; help the local Jewish population in Ukraine; prepare to help them immigrate; prepare to send humanitarian aid; and continue assessing the potential consequences of the invasion for Israel.

Earlier in the day, Bennett avoided condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine— or even mentioning Russia by name — in his first remarks since the incursion began.

“The world order as we know it is changing,” he said, speaking at an IDF officer graduation ceremony in southern Israel. “The world is much less stable, and our region too is changing every day.”

“These are difficult, tragic times,” said the prime minister. “Our hearts are with the civilians of eastern Ukraine who were caught up in this situation.”

The remarks were a stark contrast from Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s condemnation of Russia only hours before.

Lapid called the invasion “a grave violation of the international order,” in Jerusalem’s harshest and most direct condemnation of Moscow since the crisis in Eastern Europe began.

Israel had so far been careful in its comments on the conflict and has avoided criticizing Moscow publicly. This is believed to be at least partly due to its need to work with the Russian military presence in neighboring Syria.

Two other countries which may be forced into the war are; Japan and Moldova, whose ships were bombed on Friday and Saturday.

The Moldovan-flagged vessel was a tanker carrying crude, while the Japanese ship was said to be carrying supplies.

The ships were attacked while on the Black Seam as Russia may be targeting vessels suspected of carrying supplies into Ukraine.