system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Going to be downvoted for this, but these numbers are unlikely to be correct. The source is Ukraine. It is in their interest to inflate these numbers and deflate their own losses to demoralize Russians, justify more support from NATO, boost their own people's morale, etc. Any country at war would do the exact same thing.
gpt
i think this is the main reason.

the press oppression in russia is secondary