CIA Director William Burns on Wednesday said that the United States estimated the death toll of Russians in Ukraine so far have reached around 15,000 killed and perhaps 45,000 wounded, cautioning that Kyiv has endured significant casualties as well.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Burns said, “The latest estimates from the US intelligence community would be something in the vicinity of 15,000 (Russian forces) killed and maybe three times that wounded. So a quite significant set of losses.”

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“And, the Ukrainians have suffered as well — probably a little less than that. But, you know, significant casualties.”

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday said that the US is all set to provide four more precision rocket systems to Ukraine to help it battle Russia’s invasion.

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His Ukrainian counterpart had asked the day before for Washington to send more M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) saying Kyiv’s forces have used them to destroy some 30 Russian command stations and ammunition depots so far.

Washington will send “four more Himars advanced rocket systems for a total of 16. The Ukrainians have made excellent use of Himars, and you can see the impact on the battlefield,” Austin told journalists at the Pentagon.

“Russia is keeping up its relentless shelling, and that’s a cruel tactic that harkens back to the horrors of World War I. So Ukraine needs the firepower and the ammunition to withstand this barrage and to strike back,” he said.

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The US will also send additional GMLRS ammunition, which can precisely strike targets up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) away.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Tuesday requested a major increase in the number of Himars, saying at least 100 were needed for an effective counter-offensive against Moscow’s troops.

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Reznikov also renewed a call for longer-range ammunition — 100 to 150 kilometres — to cut off Russian units from their support.

So far, President Joe Biden’s administration has refused to send longer-range ammunition, fearing that Ukraine would strike targets inside Russian territory and potentially expand the war into a direct clash with the West.