Mercouris has always made it plain that casualty figures from either side are unreliable. We know Ukraine's are always under-reported or not discussed at all, except in general terms. The BBC and western media are not and never have been that reliable. He's also a bit suspicious of anything that Prigozhin states. In this matter he's chose n what he thinks sounds about right, but he should repeat his doubts any time he discusses this matter. In this case, I believe 20,000 dead Russian soldiers may not be that far off the mark, in the intensity of fighting we've seen. If more information arrives, Mercouris willl be the first to correct himself, I'm sure.