Nemtsov Report Details Human and Financial Costs of War in Ukraine

Rogue Valley · May 12, 2015

The Moscow Times
May 12, 2015

About 70 Russian soldiers were killed early this year in eastern Ukraine's Debaltseve alone, in addition to at least 150 others who died during major battles last August, according to excerpts from a long-awaited report by murdered opposition leader Boris Nemtsov quoted by Russian media.

Nemtsov, who was shot and killed in central Moscow on Feb. 27, had begun the work on the report early this year to counter pro-Kremlin rhetoric deluging Russians from television screens, according to the document, quoted Tuesday by the RBC news portal. Nemtsov's allies, who have completed the report titled “Putin. War,” have said it will be released later in the day. The report is based on interviews with families of Russian troops who fought in Ukraine and their representatives — many of whom were later frightened into silence by Nemtsov’s shooting death within a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, Nemtsov's allies have said.

Ilya Yashin, who was an aide to Nemtsov, accused Putin of lying to Russians by waging the war amid denials of involvement. "The war with Ukraine is an undeclared war, a vile cynical war which amounts to a crime against all of the Russian nation. Putin will go down in history as the president who made Russians and Ukrainians foes," he told a news conference on the report.

Some highlights...

Russian soldiers and arms have entered Ukraine in “humanitarian convoys”.
Over 220 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine since August 2014
The families of 150 Russian soldiers killed at Ilovaisk (8/2014) received 2 million rubles each ($39,000) after signing non-disclosure/silence pledges.
The families of 70 Russian soldiers killed at Debaltsevo (2/2015) received nothing. Their sons were technically “discharged” before being ordered into Ukraine.
Russia has spent 21 billion rubles ($1 billion) to operate a force of 6,000 Russian “volunteer” soldiers in eastern Ukraine.
25 billion rubles to support 30,000 local insurgents and 7 billion rubles for the maintenance and repairs of military equipment.
80 billion rubles to support “refugees” from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
Ordinary Russians have paid 2.75 trillion rubles in lost wages and savings (sanctions) for the illegal annexation of Crimea.

The human and monetary cost to Ukraine is also staggering. The industrial Donbass region is decimated. 8,200+ military/civilian dead. 1.2 million civilians have been displaced.

Nemtsov Report Details Human and Financial Costs of War in Ukraine

Rogue Valley

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