Putin denies his own responsibility for the human cost of the war in Ukraine
19 December 15:09
Russia is not responsible for the deaths of people during the fighting in Ukraine, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has said.
“We do not consider ourselves responsible for the deaths of people because we did not start this war. This war was started after the coup d’état in Ukraine, an unconstitutional armed coup in 2014,” Putin said during his “Direct Line” interview, answering a question from an NBC journalist, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Russian propaganda media.
According to him, the fighting against its own citizens in southeastern Ukraine was launched by the “leaders of the Kyiv regime,” and Russia has long not recognized the “independence” and “autonomy” of the self-proclaimed “DPR” and “LPR.” At the same time, Moscow sought their recognition by Kyiv as part of the Minsk agreements, but “after being deceived” was forced to use armed forces to end “the war that was started by the Kyiv regime with the support of Western countries.”
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of December 12, 2025, at least 14,775 civilians have been killed and 39,322 others injured in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The real numbers could be much higher, the department noted. At the same time, they also drew attention to the threatening situation for the residents of Ukraine due to Russia’s systematic attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, which could leave millions of people without heating, water, and the ability to move around in winter weather.
In turn, the total losses of the Russian army in almost four years of war range from 900 thousand to 1.3 million people killed and wounded, according to The Economist. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Russia has lost 1 million military personnel, including 250,000 killed and 400,000 seriously wounded or disabled. According to NATO’s estimate, the total number of killed and wounded in the Russian army is close to 1.15 million.
