Russia loses nearly third of it’s army’s strength since invading Ukraine with 50,000 troops dead

RUSSIA has lost nearly a third of its army’s strength since invading Ukraine, the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff has said.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said detailed assessments show President Vladimir Putin’s plan has spectacularly failed.

His military is now so weakened, Ukrainians are increasingly confident they will soon reclaim all their old borders.

Sir Tony said: “They are absolutely clear they plan to restore the whole of their territory in terms of Ukraine.

“They see a Russia that is struggling, a Russia we assess has lost over 30 per cent of its land combat effectiveness.

“What that actually means is 50,000 Russian soldiers that have either died or been injured, nearly 1,700 Russian tanks destroyed, nearly 4,000 Russian armoured fighting vehicles destroyed.”

Finland and Norway have also wrecked Putin’s bid to divide and weaken the western alliance by applying to join Nato.

Sir Tony said: “Russia had the ambition to create fractures as a challenge to the world order.

"Russia is failing in all of those ambitions.”