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Ignoring categorical ban
on any data of losses in the Chechen Republic, it is possible to judge real
losses of the Russian occupational grouping on Caucasus through information,
which filters from various channels. The Chechen side repeatedly declared that
all figures of the losses, shown by Kremlin, have no reality at all. Moscow
asserts that during military campaign since September 1999, occupational
grouping has lost hardly more than three thousand killed and about 8 thousand
wounded. The committee of soldiers' mothers of the Russian Federation, which
carry out its own calculation of losses, considers that the Russian armies have
lost in the Chechen Republic not less than 7 thousand killed and about 20
thousand wounded. The Chechen side asserts that from the moment of intrusion of
aggressors into territory of ChRI, fierce full-scale fights and the guerrilla
war has lead to the destruction of not less than 27-30 thousand invaders. 100
thousand soldier of aggressors have been wounded. Thus losses of the Chechen
side are from three and a half up to four thousand victims among Mujahideen and
not less than six and a half thousand wounded. More losses are among civilians.
According to the Chechen side, since the beginning of invasion of the Russian
armies was lost from 40 up to 45 thousand peaceful inhabitants. About 20
thousand were missing. Approximately 20-25 thousand are held hostages in Russian
concentration camps, both in occupied part of territory of ChRI and in territory
of Russia.
Each side asserts that
its data is exactly truthful, and the data of the opponent either are obviously
overestimated, or obviously underestimated. However even the easy analysis of
figures based exclusively on the Russian sources, nevertheless allows to assert
that the data put forward by Chechen side are much more close to the truth, than
statements of the Kremlin. So, for example, literally one of these days radio
station "Liberty" informed that helicopters to Vladikavkaz district
hospital are delivering daily "Cargo - 300", i.e. the military men who
have received wounds in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeriya during clashes.
According to the forecast of surgeon colonel Musautdin Mutalibov, in the near
future, there can be a situation when patients simply could not be placed.
Already now chambers of surgical branch are overcrowded with wounded. Because of
shortage of places, barrack cots stand even in corridors. From the beginning of
the second military campaign in the Chechen Republic, doctors of surgical branch
of hospital made operations more than 10 thousand persons. In their opinion,
this figure sharply will jump up upwards in spring months. The days to be
considered are remaining when mountains of Northern Caucasus will be covered by
greenery, which serves as the best shelter for struggling Chechens. Deducting
from experience of the first Chechen campaign, military doctors consider that in
this connection, rate of death and wounded among military men will sharply
increase.
It would be desirable to pay special attention to this reporting, which
indicates that only in one hospital 10 thousand surgical operations were made.
Surgical operation practically always is suggested for quite serious cases of
wound. Thus, the question is 10 thousand hardly wounded Russian soldiers, who
were operated only through one military hospital in Vladikavkaz. Even, if to put
forward the fantastic assumption that the Russian army is served by only 10
hospitals in all Russia, the figures are in 100 thousand seriously wounded since
September 1999, but in any way 8 thousand about whom Yastrjembsky speaks with
Manilov. Thus, statements of the Chechen side about wounding of 100 thousand
soldiers of the opponent are not only real, but also are strongly underestimated,
as more significant figure will not be simply stacked in consciousness of the
public.
Other figure is from reports
in staff of SKVO and Joint Staff of VS of the Russian Federation in August -
November 1999: About losses of armored vehicles - "Dynamic
shield breaks at three hits of a grenade launcher. BMP and BMD vulnerable for
machine gun 7.62 mm, rocket launcher RPG and anti-tank mines. And an armored
troop-carrier, absolutely can be destroyed completely with a shot of a grenade
launcher. All the same dangerous combination of fighting structure in a tank
with fuel and crew... ". "During the second Chechen conflict, the
situation essentially has not changed. Strike, as a rule, is accompanied by fire
and undermining of tank. As a result, there were BIG LOSSES of staff. Currently
stricken more than half (60 %) crews of tanks and 34 % of crews of BMP - (are
partly (wounded) or completely (killed)... ". We remind that it is the
data for November 1999. 60 percents of crews of tanks and 34 percents of crews
of BMP, that is the basic force of attacking armies, were destroyed only during
first for three incomplete months of war. On the official data of the Ministry
of Defense of the Russian Federation, the army of intrusion totaled 14 thousand
units of armored vehicles. Even if halved this figure, having isolated
presumably 7 thousand units easy light armored troop-carrier and to average
figure of losses - 50 percents of crews from the remaining 7 thousand units of
tanks and BMP - that only within first three months of war, according to the
same Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, were killed or wounded more
than 20 thousand soldier and officers of armored vehicles army. These figures
are simple arithmetic calculation in view of that the crew of the tank totals
three persons, and BMP accommodate four.
Thus losses of the
Russian occupational armies on Caucasus are not only big but also catastrophic.
Continuation of war, in conditions of aggravation of a situation in other
regions of the post-Soviet era, threatens Moscow with serious military-political
consequences. Gun meat in Russia always was much, but it will also come to an
end sometime.
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