Pentagon Estimates Thousands of Russian Troops Have Been Killed in Ukraine

They have pretty well tightened up any negative information internally

Doubt it.

Thousands? I find that unlikely. Considering the Pentagon's own history of propaganda and inflating enemy KIA numbers, I hope most rational people listen to what they're told and try to filter out the truth.
I'm all out "better dead than red" and I think what Russia is doing is a travesty.
But, I don't believe a damn thing either side is saying.