Russia hides its war toll. We put the clues together.

The actual number of casualties in Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine is an enduring secret of the war. The Kremlin has a policy of silence and many Russians do not speak publicly for fear of repercussions.

But it is believed that the number of Russians injured in the battle is enormous.

The Pentagon estimates the Russian death toll at around 60,000, with the number of wounded three to four times that number. approximately 300,000 victimssaid a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

What the Russians say

A senior Russian official estimated that amputees represented more than half of the seriously injured.

The New York Times interviewed five wounded Russian soldiers and relatives of others to learn more about what happens to the large numbers of wounded, who face inconsistent treatment and little discussion about them.

One has a microprocessor to move the fingers of his prosthetic arm, but only a simple mechanical elbow: he can hold a glass, but not lift it. The arm, he said, was “more cosmetic than functional.”

Another soldier lost part of his brain and relies on his wife for care. She turned to crowdfunding, writing, “I feel like I'm putting my loved one together like a puzzle.”

A Russian visiting his brother-in-law in a Moscow hospital said the six soldiers in the ward were mostly still wearing field clothes, so he brought them new clothes, soap, toothbrushes and a hot meal.

Reports of erratic care

Some praised the available medical care, while others described an overwhelmed system shortages of everything from medications to adult diapers.

The wounded are often forced to quickly return to the front.

A soldier who suffered shrapnel wounds said he was told to report back to the front six days after being released from hospital.

'It was an assembly line' he said of his busy neighborhood.

Official praise, unofficial dismay

The wounded are not completely hidden. President Vladimir V. Putin has made a few hospital visits, sometimes handing out medals, and is often in the media portrays wounded veterans as heroes.

Anton Filimonov, who lost a leg when he stepped on a mine, has become such a symbol in Russia of an amputee overcoming adversity.

He has said publicly that the Russians were “not ready” to care for amputees, and some medical workers have noted a clear lack of public compassion, with amputees seen begging on the streets.