NATO: 7,000 to 15,000 Russian Troops Dead in Ukraine

A serviceman carries the photo of Capt. Andrei Paliy, a deputy commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, during a farewell ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. Paliy was killed in action during fighting with Ukrainian forces in the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol. (AP)

NATO estimated on Wednesday that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine, where fierce fighting by the country's fast-moving defenders has denied Moscow the lightning victory it sought.

By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan over 10 years.