In Ukraine, Russian attacks are taking a dramatic toll on both sides. Britain’s defense ministry estimates more than 70,000 Russian personnel have been killed or wounded over the past 2 months.
The ministry calculates Russian casualties exceeded a daily average of 1,100 in May and June. It said Russia appears to be conducting attacks with no regard for deaths and injuries of its own forces.
The ministry also suggests Moscow will likely continue its efforts to overwhelm Ukrainian positions over the next two months.
As fighting continues, the governor of the eastern region of Donetsk said on Friday that Russian attacks had killed six people.
There are also concerns that Russia is pursuing targets abroad. CNN has reported that Washington discovered earlier this year plans hatched in Moscow to assassinate the chief of a German arms manufacturer. The company has been producing artillery shells for Ukraine.
CNN quotes officials from US government and elsewhere as saying US intelligence agencies foiled the plot by alerting Germany. The Russian government has denied involvement.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported that Ukraine may soon get its long-awaited F-16 fighter jets, but in far fewer numbers than it had expected. It says Ukraine will get six F-16s this summer, and up to 20 by the end of the year.