Putin 'Running Effectively A Meat Grinder:' UK Says Over 188,000 Russian Soldiers Dead Or Injured In The War

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine completes one year on Feb. 24, the U.K. defense secretary said the conflict could last another year.

What Happened: U.K. defense secretary Ben Wallace, in an interview with LBC, slammed Putin's "catastrophic miscalculation."

"I think we will. I think Russia has shown a complete disregard, not only for the lives of the people of Ukraine but for its own soldiers. We are sitting here 12 months in and 188,000, actually more now, Russian soldiers are dead or injured as a result of this catastrophic miscalculation and aggression by President Putin," Wallace said.

See Also: Biden Says Putin Not ‘Thinking Of Using Nuclear Weapons’ In Ukraine: ‘No Evidence Of That’

"When someone has crossed the line and thinks it is OK to do that to your own people, running effectively a meat grinder for an army, I think he is not going to stop," Wallace added.

The U.K. Defense Ministry, in an intelligence update, also warned that "there is a realistic possibility that Russia is preparing for another offensive effort" in the town of Vuhledar, in southern Donetsk oblast — despite costly failed attacks recently. 

It also said that after harsh criticism from the Russian nationalist community, the commander of Russia's Eastern Group of forces is likely to be under intense pressure to improve results in Vuhledar.

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