Rising Death Toll Hits Home Back In Russia

THIS fresh-faced young Russian is one of many who have paid the highest price in pursuing Moscow's merciless attack.

- Gabriel Gavin

Kamil Khabibnazarov, 21, had been studying mapmaking. One of his comrades, Ivan Stepanenko, had just finished high school when he joined up while Andrey Ogibalov, was a keen cyclist and hockey player.

Yet instead of returning to Russia to continue their studies, go back to apprenticeships or take up their hobbies again, they have all been flown home in body bags.

They are among the 20,000 soldiers estimated to have died in Vladimir Putin's needless war in Ukraine.

Now, grieving families are being confronted with the reality and many are speaking out Even the Kremlin has been forced to face up to the high death toll, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitting Russia had suffered significant losses that are a huge tragedy for us.