Zelensky: 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in war with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has disclosed that Ukraine has suffered the loss of 31,000 soldiers killed in the war with Russia. He also mentioned additional casualties, including those wounded and missing in action.
"I don't know if I have the right to speak about this. It's a very serious matter," Zelensky commented during a press conference on February 25, responding to a question regarding the number of losses sustained by the Ukrainian army since the full-scale war with Russia.
He recalled claims by pro-Russian forces regarding the deaths of 300,000 Ukrainian military personnel, and Russian statements of 100,000, but he dismissed these figures, saying, "All of that is a lie, it's not true."
"31,000 Ukrainian servicemen have died in this war. Not 300,000, not 150,000, but still, each and every loss is grievous for us," Zelensky stated.
The President added that the Russian army's death toll stands at 180,000, with up to 450,000 wounded.
"Of course, we have wounded. And there are those missing in action, but I won't give a number because there are inaccuracies. And there are tens of thousands of civilians dead in the occupied territories," the President noted.
This is the first occasion that the Ukrainian President has publicly confirmed the scale of casualties suffered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In a recent interview with the American broadcaster Fox News, Zelensky asserted that the losses of the Russian army in the war in Ukraine were at least five times greater than those suffered by Ukraine.