Putin Is 'Going Backwards' On Ukraine Battlefield As Russian Deaths Near 500,000, UK Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks as he visits one of the command posts of the West group of Russian Army in an undisclosed location in late 2025. Almost 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine , according to a UK spy chief. The head of the UK intelligence agency GCHQ, Anna Keast-Butler, said the stark numbers show Moscow is “going backwards on the battlefield”. Keast-Butler made the revelation during the first of what is expected to be an annual threat assessment at Bletchley Park on Wednesday. The UK has previously avoided confirming Russian deaths, only referring to casualties including those wounded. The British military estimated in April that Russia has endured 1.3 million casualties since the conflict began in February 2022. Keir Giles, an associate fellow of the Russian and Eurasia programme, also told HuffPost UK that Ukraine has “clawed back the advantage” in recent months. However, he added: “The advantages swung between the two sides regularly over the course of the war. “The way in which the front line, the position of the front line is irrelevant, hasn’t changed. “What has changed, is Ukraine is able to limit the damage that was being done, by Russia’s ongoing attacks, by reducing the number of casualties Ukraine is suffering, and making sure that it’s Russia who is gonna run out of people first.” Keast-Butler also used her speech to warn that Russia is “relentlessly targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust”. The spy chief said Moscow is “scaling up its daily hybrid activity” against the UK and Europe, though GCHQ is still “working tirelessly” with partners to break down the threat from Russia. Keast-Butler said: “One area in sharp focus for us is protecting the data and energy flowing through the critical cables and pipelines in and around British waters. We do this by exposing Russia’s intent, motive and underwater capabilities. “We’re also disrupting Russia’s efforts to smuggle Western tech, fending off cyber attacks and countering reckless sabotage and assassination attempts.” But she warned that the UK is at a “moment of high consequence” and the “risk of miscalculation is as high as I’ve ever seen it”. Subscribe to Commons People , the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Vladimir Putin Warned It Could Take 140 Years For Russia To Reach Kyiv As Ukraine War Goes On Ministers Slammed Over 'Insane' Decision To Ease Russian Oil Sanctions Despite Ukraine War Putin 'Stuck' As Ukraine Seizes Upper Hand On The Battlefield, Expert Says

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