Vladimir Putin humiliated as soldier claims Russia has killed 100,000 of its own troops

A Russian military blogger has accused the Kremlin of slaughtering up to 100,000 of its own soldiers in futile assaults on two modest Ukrainian cities, delivering a humiliating blow to Vladimir Putin's war machine. The video, shared on X by former Ukrainian Interior Ministry advisor Anton Gerashchenko, shows the blogger - believed to be a former serviceman with frontline connections - outlining Russia's losses in the battles for Pokrovsk and Bakhmut.

He claims: "For these two small cities, Russia has already killed 80-100 thousand of its own soldiers. It wasn't Ukraine that killed them, it was Russia." The 66-second clip, recorded inside a vehicle, references a recent admission by pro-Kremlin figure "Zetnik," who estimated 40,000-50,000 Russian deaths in the Pokrovsk campaign.

Combining this with casualties from the 2023 Bakhmut battle, estimated at over 100,000 by Western intelligence, the blogger reaches his total.

He compares the scale to World War 2 losses, noting that Germany suffered fewer troops in occupying Norway, France and Poland together. "For what? I just don't understand why," he adds.

The remarks coincide with Russia's ongoing push in Donetsk, where Ukrainian reports indicate 110,000 Russian troops concentrated near Pokrovsk, a pre-war town of 60,000 people and a key rail junction.

Kyiv's military has reported up to 700 Russian casualties daily, according to the Centre for European Policy Analysis.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the defence as challenging. The offensive, which intensified this summer, has brought limited advances for Russia, with Ukraine's General Staff estimating 200,000 Russian killed or wounded in Donetsk since January.

External assessments suggest even higher figures. The UK Ministry of Defence reported over 1 million total Russian casualties since the 2022 invasion in June, including 250,000 deaths.

Then-NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated in July that Russia suffered 100,000 fatalities that year.

An analysis by BBC Media Action, based on open sources, estimated mid-2025 deaths to be above 220,000, excluding mercenaries. These numbers contrast sharply with official Russian figures, which remain under 6,000.

The video highlights tensions within Russia's online military community. While state outlets promote successes in the "special military operation," alternative voices express frustration.

Mr Gerashchenko's post has garnered more than 33,000 views in a few hours, prompting comments that include hopes for the blogger's safety and criticism of Russian media narratives.

Kremlin officials have rejected the claims as "Ukrainian disinformation." However, the clip's rapid spread on platforms like Telegram could affect troop morale.

As temperatures drop and Pokrovsk remains under pressure, the clip highlights the mounting cost of the conflict, which has claimed a significant portion of Russia's fighting force.