Up to 250,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine conflict

British defense officials report that up to 250,000 Russian soldiers have died in the conflict in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for three years. The Ministry of Defence in London emphasized that these losses represent Russia's most significant casualties since World War II. The Ministry accuses President Vladimir Putin and his military leaders of putting their war aims ahead of the lives of Russian soldiers. It claims that Russian military casualties, including those wounded, could be as high as 900,000. Many of these soldiers have reportedly been sent into combat with little training. Additionally, there have been reports of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia. Thousands of these soldiers have also been killed in the battle for the Kursk region, which was captured by Ukrainian forces last summer. Despite making some territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are facing heavy losses. On the frontline, Ukrainian troops are struggling to hold their positions. The analysis from the UK is viewed as more credible than the information coming from the Kremlin, which is often seen as propaganda. The UK intelligence update stated that the Russian military is likely willing to accept high casualty rates as long as public support for the war remains strong. It also noted a focus on recruiting ethnic minorities from poorer regions of Russia. On the diplomatic side, Trump's recent ceasefire proposal was rejected by Putin, who agreed only to a limited truce concerning energy infrastructure. Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed claims that talks on American control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant had taken place. Britain, France, and other nations are preparing to send peacekeeping troops if the war ends. However, Putin has firmly opposed NATO troops in Ukraine and has laid out several conditions for a ceasefire, including halting Western military support to Ukraine.