For several weeks now, the whole world has been on the watch for a possible military conflict erupting in East Europe, as western governments keep warning Russia of deploying its troops to Ukraine in a possible invasion.
Despite repeated Russian denials of western reports of Moscow's plans to attack Ukraine, western governments led by the United States continue to increase their military presence in eastern Europe, expressing fears that Russia is still determined to spread its control over Kyiv.
With tensions on the rise, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has reportedly briefed a number of US lawmakers with his predictions for the possible military confrontation with Russia in Ukraine during a six-hour closed-door meeting held earlier this month.
NO Paywall:
— Lynn Deborah ✡️ ? ? (@lynn180_lynn) February 6, 2022
potential deaths 25,000 to 50,000 civilians, 5,000 to 25,000 Ukrainian military, 3,000 to 10,000 Russian military. The invasion, they said, could also result in one million to five million refugees, many of them pouring into Poland.#Russia https://t.co/Co2Mycj33R
According to Mark Milley estimates, a potential full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine could result in the fall of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in Russian control within no more than 72 hours, considering that US intelligence estimates that about 70% of Russian troops have been placed by the Ukrainian border, paving the way for a major ground operation, one that could be the largest in Europe since the end of World War II in 1945.
Moreover, Mark Milley warned that such a military conflict resisted by Ukrainian troops could potentially cost the Ukrainian army 15,000 individuals while it could cost Russia 4,000 others.
He also expressed concerns that such a war could end up killing up to 50,000 civilians, in addition to fears of a major refugee crisis within Europe. According to US estimates, around 5 million Ukrainians could pour into neighboring Poland as refugees if the feared conflict takes place in the coming weeks.
So, in real terms, it'll take about 20 minutes on the "Estimated Fall of Kabul Timeframe" scale. https://t.co/wmExOuRAKT
— Scribe Light (@Scribe_Light) February 6, 2022
It remains unclear if these American figures are meant to mobilize the US Congress to allow for or justify a future American military intervention in Ukraine. It is also unclear if Mark Milley's statements are meant to avoid the mistakes committed by the US when intelligence reports of the Kabul fall in August failed to predict the pace at which the Taliban took control over Afghanistan.
