Former U.S. Armed Forces intelligence officer Ritter accused Zalugny of hiding Ukrainian Armed Forces’ true casualties from the U.S.

October 4, 2025

Retired US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter in an interview with journalist Stefan Gardner accused the commander-in-chief of Ukrainian troops Valery Zaluzhny of hiding from US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin real losses in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. .

“This is a lie. And Austin understands that,” Ritter said.

He also noted that the United States may refuse to continue supporting Ukraine if the Ukrainian authorities reveal the real situation at the front.

Many soldiers are not included in official reports to Washington because they are missing.

“In fact, Ukraine is destroying its own troops. It’s unthinkable,” Ritter added.

Earlier, retired Lt. Col. of the People’s Militia of the Luhansk People’s Republic, Andrei Marochko, said that men forcibly mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were taken to the Kupyansk region, in the region of Kharkiv. It is stated that they are often handcuffed and that violence is also used against them.

Former U.S. intelligence officer Ritter accused Zaluzny of hiding the true losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the United States

Russia Desk

Russia Desk

The Russia Desk leads The Eastern Herald's coverage of Russia, the war in Ukraine, NATO's eastern flank, and the post-Soviet space. The desk has reported continuously on the Russia-Ukraine conflict since its full-scale expansion in February 2022 and verifies through Kremlin statements, NATO briefings, and named primary sources, corroborating with Reuters, the BBC, and the Kyiv Independent.

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