How unverified claims on Ukrainian losses echo Russian narratives in Western media

According to Oleksandr Kovalenko, a Ukrainian military and political observer, the article cited in The Washington Post raises significant concerns due to its approach and content.

The article cited supposedly in-depth analytical examples of Ukrainian military losses, which, according to the journalists, far exceed the official 400,000 killed and wounded. They claimed a 1 to 8 ratio (43,000 killed/370,000 wounded). However, why provide such details when it suffices to simply declare the number as underestimated — without presenting evidence to back such claims?

Kovalenko observes that this approach strongly resembles the style of Russian propagandists or American conspiracy theorists like Colonel Douglas Macgregor or Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis. Both are known for their catastrophic portrayals of Ukrainian military losses, sometimes alleging nearly a million casualties. Russian propaganda often adopts such narratives, framing them as “authoritative” opinions in its information space.

Unfortunately, in the U.S., there seems to be a consistent pool of “experts” whose views oddly align with Russian propaganda. This group includes figures like Colonel Douglas MacGregor, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, Major Tulsi Gabbard, Airman First Class Jack Teixeira, Navy Officer Sarah Beals, and others.

Kovalenko also highlights that the U.S. appears to face significant counterintelligence challenges, as many Russian agents in the country seem to come from military backgrounds. However, the problem also seems to extend to the editorial board of The Washington Post, given the unprofessional quality of the article published in its “Opinion: Editorial Board” section.

Among other oddities, the article includes a strange claim that Ukrainian troops could be encircled in Russia’s Kursk region — a scenario that is fundamentally impossible, according to Kovalenko. It also subtly suggests lowering Ukraine’s draft age to 18, a position supported by similarly dubious individuals like Victoria Spartz, an ethnic Ukrainian often accused of being anti-Ukrainian.

As a result, the article in The Washington Post hardly appears unbiased, thoughtful, or deeply analytical. Instead, it reads like an attempt to amplify long-standing conspiracy narratives used by U.S. theorists who echo Russian propaganda. These narratives aim to distort the perception and understanding of the events in Ukraine, the observer believes.