Russia's richest cities suffer the fewest deaths as a result of Ukraine war, MOD says

Russia "continues to suffer extremely heavy casualties" as a result of the war in Ukraine, but "the impact varies dramatically across Russia's regions", the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has said.

The population of Russia's richest cities "have been left relatively unscathed" in terms of deaths as a result of the Ukraine war, the MOD said.

"In proportion to the size of their population, the richest cities of Moscow and St Petersburg have been left relatively unscathed," the MOD said.

• Ukraine: Why the battle for the Kherson Islands is so strategically important
• Why is Moldova significant in the Ukraine war?
• Ukrainian authorities report Russian missiles hitting cities across Ukraine

"This is especially true for the families of the country's elite."

The MOD went on to say Russian senior officials were photographed on the front two rows at President Putin's state of the nation speech, but none are "known to have children serving in the military".

"In many of the Eastern regions, deaths are likely running, as a percentage of population, at a rate 30+ times higher than in Moscow," the MOD said.

"In places, ethnic minorities take the biggest hit; in Astrakhan some 75% of casualties come from the minority Kazakh and Tartar populations.

"As the Russian MoD seeks to address its continued deficit of combat personnel, insulating the better-off and more influential elements of Russian society will highly likely remain a major consideration."

It comes after reports Russia was facing a "dilemma" after several assaults in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine failed.

The MOD said Russian command "likely saw a breakthrough at Vuhledar", a sector of Donetsk Oblast, "as a key way to achieve an operationally significant breakthrough in Ukraine's lines".

Yet the MOD said  Russian planners are "likely facing the dilemma of attempting another Vuhledar assault or supporting intense fighting further north near Bakhmut and Kremina".