Ukraine claims nearly 23,000 Russian troops killed in war

By Ruslan Rehimov

KYIV (AA) - Ukraine claimed on Friday that Russia lost nearly 23,000 troops since the beginning of the war.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 189 Russian aircraft, 155 helicopters, 134 unmanned aerial vehicles, 986 tanks, 2,418 armored vehicles and 435 artillery systems, according to the Ukrainian General Staff’s latest update.

Some 151 Russian multiple rocket launcher systems, 1,695 vehicles, 76 fuel tanks, 73 anti-aircraft systems and eight boats have also been destroyed, it added.

Meanwhile, at least 219 children have been killed and 398 others injured in Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine, authorities said.

Some 1,550 educational institutions have been damaged in Russian attacks, including 102 which were completely destroyed, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office.

At least 2,829 civilians have been killed and 3,182 others injured in Ukraine since the war started on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is feared to be much higher.

So far, 7.7 million people in Ukraine have been internally displaced, with more than 5.3 million fleeing to other countries, according to the UN refugee agency.