Ukraine denies 100,000 troop casualty claim, reveals true war toll
In a recent CBS News 60 Minutes interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was said to discuss the death toll of Ukrainian troops during the ongoing war. However, according to Presidential Spokesman Sergey Nikiforov, the Ukrainian leader did not mention that 100,000 soldiers had been killed. It was journalist Scott Pelley who quoted this figure off-camera, as reported by Liga.net.
President Zelensky emphasized, "Our people are paying the highest price," with his spokesperson highlighting the grim reality. "There is no higher price. We have given all our money—everything we possess financially. But most importantly, we have given [lives] of our people," Zelensky stated in his CBS interview.
The 60 Minutes segment further reported that Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities daily, resulting in 13,000 civilian casualties, including over 600 children. However, journalists did not clarify the source of these numbers.
"1,700 attacks on schools, more than 600 children killed, 780 attacks on medical facilities, 13,000 civilians dead, and up to 100,000 Ukrainian troops lost," the CBS report stated.
Previous figures from former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, now Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, listed 50,000 troops killed and 300,000 wounded.
As per President Zelensky's data from December 2024, since February 24, 2022, 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in battle, with 370,000 wounded. Russian loses are reported to exceed 750,000, including 198,000 killed and over 550,000 wounded.
On December 5, 2024, journalist Yuriy Butusov claimed that the Ukrainian General Staff had reported 105,000 Ukraine military casualties including those killed and missing at a meeting of the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters, comprising more than 70,000 confirmed dead and 35,000 missing.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on December 8 that Ukraine has lost 400,000 troops, while Russian losses stand at 600,000, including both killed and wounded.
President Zelensky reiterated during the same interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin stands no chance of fully occupying Ukraine.
Additionally, Zelensky mentioned he wishes to vividly demonstrate the true face of the war to U.S. President Donald Trump. According to Zelensky, this would help Washington grasp the reality and the stakes involved.