War Losses Mount as Peace Prospects Remain Uncertain

The Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces estimates that Russia's losses since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine are nearing one million. The losses, calculated from the beginning of the war in February 2022, are estimated at 950,860, with 1,060 reported killed on April 28 alone.

Simultaneously, South Korea's spy agency has reported 4,700 North Korean casualties, including 600 deaths, since North Korea began supplying troops to the Kremlin. According to a politician in Seoul, 2,000 injured North Korean soldiers were returned to North Korea by air or train between January and March.

This estimate was released shortly after North Korea confirmed its deployment of soldiers to assist Russian forces in their efforts to regain parts of the Kursk region in western Russia. The advance marked the first time Ukraine has taken sovereign Russian territory, while Putin's forces continue to occupy approximately one-fifth of sovereign Ukrainian territory.

These recent figures emerge as Washington intensifies its efforts to broker a peace deal. Donald Trump met with President Zelensky in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican before Pope Francis' funeral.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed skepticism regarding the White House's peace efforts. He stated that while Russia appreciates America's mediation, resolving the Ukrainian crisis is a complex process that cannot be achieved quickly. He also emphasized that a peace deal should be negotiated with Ukraine directly, and that President Putin has reiterated his willingness for direct negotiations with the Ukrainians without preconditions.