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USSR lost 26.6Mln people during WWII - defense minister

MOSCOW REGION. May 7 (Interfax) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Saturday that World War II had claimed the lives of 26.6 million Soviet citizens.

"Irretrievable losses of troops were 8,668,400 people," Ivanov said at a meeting with war veterans.

"Sanitary losses, including the wounded, ill and frostbitten, were 15,205,692 people who were wounded, 3,047,675 people who fell ill, and 90,881 people who suffered frostbites," he said.

Moreover, "5,059,000 went missing, and 4,559,000 were taken prisoner," Ivanov said.

He said Soviet losses during World War II had been an issue that had been whipped up for years. "Some time ago, the general staff made calculations to that effect, and those are the figures I've cited," Ivanov said.