Over 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in war with Russia – Zelensky

Approximately 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers lost their lives in the war between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Each loss of a Ukrainian defender is a profound tragedy for the nation.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this during his press conference.

According to the president, every loss of a Ukrainian in the war against Russia is a great tragedy for Ukraine.

"Each person is a great loss for us. 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers died in this war. Not 300,000 or 150,000, as Putin lies. But every loss is a great loss for us. 180,000 Russians died. Total casualties and the wounded in the Russian Federation – up to 500,000, including the wounded. Ukrainians – 31 thousand. I will not say how many were wounded because Russia will know how many left the battlefield," Zelensky said.

The President mentioned that there are unaccounted-for casualties in Ukraine, but the exact count will not be revealed at this time.

"Past exchanges showed that several guys who were missing returned alive. We don't know how many civilians they killed (in the occupied territories – ed.). We will find out when we are done with Russia," he said.

Zelensky also reported that Russian losses amount to 180,000 and up to 500,000, including the wounded.

These data are slightly different from the data of the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces. According to the latest appeal this morning, the losses of the Russians for two years of full-scale war amount to almost 410 thousand.

For reference:

In early December, a video emerged showing Ukrainian prisoners of war being used as "human shields" along the line of contact in the Zaporizhzhia region. The footage showed Russian forces escorting captured and unarmed soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces at gunpoint toward Ukrainian positions, using them as cover. The incident was widely reported in the media.

On March 6, the network was shaken by a video published by the Russian occupiers. The invaders filmed how they shot a Ukrainian prisoner of war after his words, "Glory to Ukraine".

Ukraine handed over to the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations a verified video recording of the use of Ukrainian prisoners of war as "human shields" on the line of contact. However, international institutions ignored the information.

The Russian leadership hides the losses of its troops in the war of aggression against Ukraine. According to the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces, more than 400,000 occupiers have been eliminated since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

At the same time, British intelligence emphasizes that Russian losses increased in 2023. It will likely take up to 10 years for Moscow to rebuild a professional military.

Russian opposition media have confirmed a list of the names of more than 43,000 Russian soldiers who died in the war, including at least 3,000 officers. It is emphasized that the actual losses of the Russian army are much higher.