In the ATO zone in eastern Ukraine, the total Russian dead and wounded currently sits at 10,00, according to the Ukrainian Information Centre of the National Security and Defence Council. Andriy Lisenko, a spokesman for the organization, referred to the information gathered through operational intelligence in statement in the September 12 briefing of the Information Center of NSDC on developments in Ukraine.
The Russian troops killed had served in 18 detachments of the Russian army, and came from 10 regions, according to Lisenko.
“The situation in the ATO is tense during the day. The ceasefire was preserved in general, but there were several cases where it was violated,” Lisenko said of the current peace agreement, and made references to several specific incidents.
In addition to the Russian casualties, since the fighting broke out in the ATO 873 Ukrainian fighters have died and 3275 have been wounded, Lisenko said.
Russian authorities responded to the figures claimed by Ukraine Friday, calling them “nonsense.”
“The Russian Military Department considers ‘nonsense’ the statement by Andrey Lysenko, who said, citing data from ‘operational intelligence’ that thousands of Russian troops died on the territory of Ukraine,” the Russian Defense Ministry’s official representative, Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement.
Also Friday, the US imposed new sanctions against Russia, including new VISA bans and asset freezes. The new sanctions also blocked support or technology for Arctic and offshore exploration by five Russian energy firms: Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft, Surgutneftegaz and Transneft.
“Given Russia’s direct military intervention and blatant efforts to destabilise Ukraine, we have deepened our sanctions against Russia today, in concert with our European allies,” said US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who for past months denied that any Russian soldiers were fighting in Ukraine, commented on the new sanctions, “I don’t even understand what these latest sanctions are about. Maybe someone is unhappy that the process is taking a peaceful path.”
NATO said that Russia currently has about 1,000 armed troops in eastern Ukraine and about 20,000 more soldiers and much military equipment amassed near the border.
Putin last week admitted that there were Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, but said that those fighting were “volunteers.”
Family members of Russian soldiers, such as those unified under the influential group Soldiers’ Mothers, have made assertions that Russia was paying soldiers to fight in Ukraine, and that Russian soldiers were being sent to fight an “undeclared war” in Ukraine, while family members could not obtain information as to where their wounded and killed sons were returning from.
Poroshenko said of the recent agreement by the EU and Ukrainian parliament for simultaneous ratification of an association agreement, “Never was such a decision approved in such a short term.” The simultaneous ratification is set to take place Sept. 16.
Meanwhile, Russia has prepared a second “humanitarian convoy” of white freight trucks, which is currently positioned on the Russian side of the border.
Lisenko also made mention of a recent statement by Poroshenko referring to Ukraine and Europe, that there was a need in the world “to develop a new security strategy in the world.”