Leaked data reveals Russia's true death toll in Ukraine war

A major cyber attack has breached Russia's wartime secrecy, revealing that up to 450,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine between February 2022 and August this year, according to leaked records. The figures expose the devastating scale of battlefield losses under Vladimir Putin's "Special Military Operation." The leaked numbers remain lower than previous British military estimates of 500,000 deaths, and the breach is a humiliating blow to Putin, who has sought to conceal the true cost of the war. However, the leak is unlikely to impact his grip on power, as his party won a record majority in September's parliamentary elections. Russia has tightened controls over cyberspace and media, with independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta ceasing operations after 30 years due to official pressure. Putin has denied responsibility for the losses, while hopes for peace talks in Abu Dhabi this week remain faint.