Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in the conflict with Russia, marking a rare acknowledgment by Kyiv of its military casualties.
During a conference in Kyiv on Sunday, Zelensky refuted Russian assertions of significantly higher casualty figures for Ukrainian troops. He emphasized that "tens of thousands" of civilians have also perished in regions of Ukraine under Russian occupation.
Zelensky emphasized the magnitude of the loss, stating, "It's a substantial toll for us. Thirty-one thousand Ukrainian soldiers have perished in this conflict. Not 300,000. Not 150,000, as Putin claims falsely." He stressed the profound impact of each casualty on Ukraine.
According to US officials, approximately 70,000 soldiers have been killed, with nearly double that number sustaining injuries.