GCHQ director says nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine war
Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said in her inaugural public speech. The spy chief warned the UK is at a "moment of consequence" as Russia "relentlessly targets" critical infrastructure and wages an undeclared hybrid war against the UK and NATO. Keast-Butler also called for urgent action on cyber security, urging businesses and the public to adopt stronger defenses.
Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said in her inaugural public speech at Bletchley Park, the World War Two code-breaking site.
Keast-Butler warned the UK is at a "moment of consequence" with Russia "relentlessly targeting" critical infrastructure across the country. She accused the Kremlin of waging an undeclared "hybrid war" against the UK and other NATO countries, and said GCHQ is working to counter "reckless sabotage and assassination attempts."
Both Kyiv and Moscow have regularly published estimates of the other side's losses but have been reluctant to detail their own. In February, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had lost 55,000 soldiers since 2022.
BBC News Russian, together with independent outlet Mediazona and a group of volunteers, has confirmed the names of 223,539 Russian soldiers and officers killed since February 2022. Military experts consulted by the BBC believe that count represents 45-65% of the total Russian deaths.
Keast-Butler said Russia and China are investing heavily in space, with more than 10,000 objects launched into orbit in the last three years. She urged businesses and the public to "switch passwords for passkeys" and make cyber security "10 times more urgent."
The Kremlin has denied the allegations of targeting critical infrastructure and hybrid warfare.