Vladimir Putin has claimed that more than 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died during their counteroffensive, which began on June 4.

The autocrat was addressing crowds at the Eastern Economic Forum 2023 in Vladivostok, far eastern Russia.

He did not provide evidence to back up his claims and made no mention of Russian losses.

The latest US estimates suggest that roughly 70,000 Ukrainians have died during the entire war, which began last February, though they acknowledged that losses had increased during the counteroffensive.

Russian losses are believed to be around 120,000 to 130,000, with a further 180,000 wounded.

The exact figures are ever changing and difficult to quantify – both countries refrain from publishing honest figures – but the estimates suggest that Russia has lost more soldiers in the last three months than Ukraine, a shocking statistic given the military principle that advancing forces typically incur more losses than those on the defensive.

Putin later claimed that he believed Ukrainians may actually be employing non-nationals in large parts to push their counteroffensive. He said his evidence came from regularly speaking to commanders on the frontline, a claim that may or may not be true.

It is an unsubstantiated claim likely intended to play into the Kremlin’s propagandistic line that the US-led West is using Ukraine as a proxy war against Russia.