Zelenskyy says western media exaggerates Ukrainian losses

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the number of Ukrainian military casualties is much lower than reported by some western media.

“Recently, I believe in the American press, some information was provided stating that 80,000 Ukrainians have died. But I want to tell you, no, it’s less, much less,” the president told Kyodo News.

He, however, refrained from providing the exact number, adding that Ukraine is missing details about the number of deaths in Russian-occupied territories. This concerns civilians and military personnel, law enforcement, and local authorities.

“And how many have died, how many have been lost, how many have been tortured in captivity — I don’t know. So, I only talk about the military recorded on our territory, which is controlled by us,” the president emphasized.

Ukraine does not publish daily information about the losses on the front. According to The Economist estimates made in late November, Ukraine has likely lost between 60,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian military personnel since 24 February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale assault. Another 400,000 have been severely injured.

On 25 February 2024, Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine has lost 31 thousand soldiers since 24 February 2022.