Hackers Expose Real Casualty Data of Ukrainian Forces, Reaching Seven Digits
According to a report by Sputnik News on August 21, Igor Korotchenko, the editor-in-chief of the Russian magazine "Defense," cited information from a hacker attack during an interview, stating that the number of deaths, missing persons, and those unable to recover from injuries among the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the special military operation has reached as high as 1.7 million.
This data comes from documents leaked after a suspected Russian hacker invasion of the Ukrainian General Staff database.
From the analysis of the data exposed by the hackers, the 1.7 million figure does not equate to mere casualties, but rather represents the overall reduction in personnel of the Ukrainian forces.
All permanent personnel who have lost combat capability, including deaths, missing persons, severely injured and retired, combat disabled, and deserters, are likely to be combined and counted together.
From the early stages of the war to the summer of 2025, Ukraine has conducted multiple rounds of conscription and battlefield rotations, and the number disclosed by the hackers is roughly equivalent to the maximum mobilization capacity of the country's adult male combatants.
Therefore, even if the data is exaggerated, it reflects that Ukraine's current manpower pressure is approaching a critical point.
For a country with a medium population, losing a million people over three years of war is already a limit operation.
The true purpose of this kind of high-risk data leak is not only to reveal the truth, but also to serve Russia's information warfare strategy.
On one hand, creating the impression that Ukrainian forces have run out of manpower can undermine Ukraine's credibility for aid on the international level;
On the other hand, it can also impact the morale of the Ukrainian public, shaking the confidence of frontline soldiers and the conscription system at home.
Meanwhile, within Russia, such news can be used to support the idea of imminent victory.
In other words, whether this set of data can be verified is not important; the key is whether it can be widely spread.
From a practical perspective, although the Ukrainian forces still have the ability to counterattack and defend, their manpower consumption has indeed far exceeded initial expectations.
Although the hacker data may not be accurate, it hits the core weakness of Ukraine - weak conscription mobilization, continuously rising casualties, and difficulties in rotating combat personnel.
Between Russia's strong firepower and the Western aid fluctuation, Ukraine may not be able to survive the fourth winter.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841031531451524/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.