The alleged deaths of the five generals are a massive loss for Russia in more ways than one, as 19FortyFive writes. First and foremost, it’s difficult to find replacements in such a short amount of time. Generals, for example, have years of experience and not everyone can fit into this role. These are not average inexperienced soldiers that are dying; they are top officials that are usually kept away from any real action (via Military). However, political pressure and a lack of military manpower forced them to move to the front lines.
Furthermore, Russia is losing more than just its generals, thousands of soldiers have reportedly been killed (up to 14,000) and it’s estimated that 21,000 have been injured, as The New York Times notes. This is an astronomical figure considering that 150,000 Russian troops are believed to be in Ukraine and reinforces the notion that Vladimir Putin did not fully contemplate Ukraine’s military power.
In other words, he’s potentially in a bad situation and he knows it. As news of the fifth general’s alleged death emerged, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video stating that if Putin did not meet with him to discuss peace talks, “Russia’s costs will be so high that you will not be able to rise again for several generations,” (via The New York Post).
