Almost a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the war in that country has left nearly 180,000 dead and wounded in the Russian army camp and more than 100,000 killed and wounded in the Ukrainian camp, according to an estimate released on Sunday by the head of the Norwegian Army, who warned that Russia still has the ability to continue this war for a long time, reports AFP. Also, according to these estimates, almost 30 thousand civilians died.

“The losses of the Russians are starting to approach 180,000 soldiers killed or wounded,” said Norwegian Chief of Staff Eirik Kristoffersen in an interview with TV2, without specifying the origin of these figures, according to Agerpres.

Norway, a country that borders Russia, has been a member of NATO since its inception in 1949.

“Ukrainian losses are probably more than 100,000 dead and wounded. In addition, there are about 30,000 civilians in Ukraine who died in this sinister war,” the Norwegian general added.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine has yet provided reliable data on losses in their own camp, downplaying their own losses and exaggerating the losses of the enemy.

The head of the US army, General Mark Milley, said in November that Russia had lost more than 100,000 soldiers in Ukraine, killed or wounded, and probably the same loss on the Ukrainian side.

These numbers cannot be independently verified.

Also in November, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died, her press service later corrected her statement, saying that in this balance sheet she actually meant the number of dead and wounded.

Ukrainians urgently need tanks, says Eirik Kristoffersen

Despite heavy losses, “Russia is capable of continuing this war for a long time,” said the Norwegian general, emphasizing the capacity of the Russian military-industrial complex and human reserves to mobilize new military forces.

For Ukraine, the Chief of the General Staff of the Norwegian Army emphasized, it is important to be able to continue to keep Russian aviation out of the combat zone and receive Western tanks, which are urgently needed for a winter counteroffensive. .

Most of the Russian strikes in recent months have been carried out by long-range missiles.

The Norwegian general also called for the rapid delivery of battle tanks to Ukraine, which has been hindered mainly by Germany so far.

“If they have to go on the offensive in the winter, they need them fast,” Erik Kristoffersen told TV2.

France is not ruling out the delivery of Leclerc heavy battle tanks to Ukraine on Saturday to support it in its war against Russia, Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday along with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as Kyiv demands the tanks, particularly from Germany, which must agree to any deliveries. Leopard 2 tanks, while many countries, including Poland, have expressed their willingness to do so, Reuters and AFP reported.

“As for Leclerc, I asked the minister of the armed forces to work on it. Nothing is excluded,” the French president said., adding that the move must be coordinated with allies such as Germany in the coming days and weeks.

This may be a signal that Ukraine may receive not only Leopard tanks but also Leclerc in the coming weeks.