Kiev, Feb 26 (IANS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that around 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the two-year-long Russian invasion. Zelensky dismissed inflated figures provided by Russia and emphasized the devastating impact of each loss on Ukraine.
Zelensky clarified during a news conference that the death toll stands at 31,000, countering Putin’s claims of much higher casualties. He stated, “Not 300,000 or 150,000, or whatever Putin and his lying circle are saying. But each of these losses is a great loss for us.” The President also refrained from disclosing the number of wounded soldiers to prevent aiding Russian military strategy.
Furthermore, Zelensky highlighted the widespread civilian casualties in the occupied areas of Ukraine, stressing the uncertainty of the actual numbers. He expressed, “I don’t know how many of them died, how many were killed, how many were murdered, tortured, how many were deported.” This disparity in figures contradicts previous estimates by US officials, who projected 70,000 Ukrainian soldier fatalities in August last year.
Regarding Russian losses, Zelensky stated that approximately 180,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, with tens of thousands sustaining injuries. The President’s update on the death tolls underscores the enduring human cost of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
