600,000 in losses (dead and injured). Estimate an average of 1.8 parents, 0.4 siblings (average 1.42 children/woman) 0.4 children, 1.3 grandparents, 4 cousins, 3.7 cousins grandparents, i.e. about 12 close relatives for each of them. Thus, about 7 million persons are related to the “losses”. If we assume (a conservative figure) that 15 other people know each of them (= 9 million), then about 16 million Russians have a personal relationship with the “losses”.
Russia has a population of 144 million, but more than 1.5 million have left the country, i.e. a population of 142 million. 16 out of 142 = at least 11 % of the Russian population have a relationship with the “losses”.
It should have a big impact on society. If there is mobilization, we can guess that there will be protests.
3rd bridge struck in Kursk. 700 sq Km pocket formed for Russian troops there.
Kiev Independent reports:
“Ukrainian forces hit the third bridge over the Seim River in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, an official of the Russian Investigative Committee claimed in a video published on Aug. 19.
If confirmed, this would be a successful strike against the last stationary bridge over the river in the Glushkovsky border district, which lies on the border of Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast.
Similar statements were made by Russian milbloggers Vladimir Romanov and Yuri Podolyaka. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims, and no evidence was provided at the time of publication.
The Air Force declined to comment on the reports. Previously, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschchuk said that two bridges in Kursk Oblast were destroyed by Ukraine, hindering Russia’s ability to supply troops fighting off the cross-border incursion. One of those bridges was located in the village of Zvannoe.
The Investigative Committee official, whose video statement was shared on the Telegram channel of Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, claimed that Ukraine struck the bridge with rocket fire and artillery in the village of Karyzh on Aug. 18.
Karyzh lies roughly 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of the Ukrainian border and 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Sudzha, a Kursk Oblast town under Kyiv’s control.
The full extent of the damage following the alleged attack remains unclear.
Russian milbloggers believe that the destruction of the bridge will not have a significant impact as Russian forces are already being supplied via a pontoon crossing.
Conversely, the Ukrainian news outlet Censor.net writes that if confirmed, the destruction of the bridge could trap Russian troops further south in a pocket of roughly 700 square kilometers.”
Against the backdrop of hostilities in the Kursk region, which began five days before the poll, 25% of respondents expressed outrage at the work of the authorities, which is only 1% lower than the figure recorded during the Prigozhin mutiny. Over the past week, the share of dissatisfied people has grown by 7%.
For comparison, a higher level of dissatisfaction was recorded in September 2022, when, against the backdrop of the announcement of mobilization, the number of dissatisfied people increased from 21% to 31% in three weeks. At the same time, the FOM study noted a significant increase in anxious moods among Russians. Over the past two weeks, the number of people experiencing anxiety has increased by 12%, reaching 45%. The proportion of those who describe their mood as “calm” fell from 59% to 48% over the same period.