Days after Russian invasion of Ukraine marked completion of two years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that as many as 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in the two years since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion.
“31,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed in this war.
Not 300,000, not 150,000, not whatever Putin and his deceitful circle have been lying about.
But nevertheless, each of these losses is a great sacrifice for us”, Zelensky said.
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Zelensky on Sunday (February 26) clarified that this number is considerably lower than the estimates presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government.
The announcement was made by Zelensky at the “Ukraine. Year 2024” forum in Kyiv.
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The Ukrainian President also emphasised the significance of each loss as a profound sacrifice for Ukraine.
He refrained from disclosing the number of troops wounded or missing and mentioned that accurate figures on the civilian casualties in occupied Ukrainian areas would only be available after the war concludes.
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This marks the first time Kyiv has officially confirmed its losses since the commencement of Russia’s full-scale war on February 24, 2022.
Discrepancy in Russian casualty figures
Meanwhile, official Russian casualty figures have been limited, with the Defense Ministry reporting just over 6,000 deaths in January 2023.
However, US and UK officials have suggested significantly higher numbers.
A declassified US intelligence report in December 2023 estimated around 315,000 Russian troops killed or wounded in Ukraine, accounting for approximately 87% of the pre-war troop strength of 360,000.
Independent Russian news outlet Mediazona reported around 75,000 Russian men losing their lives in 2022 and 2023 during the conflict.
A joint investigation by Mediazona and Meduza indicates a sustained rate of Russian losses, estimating Moscow’s daily average of approximately 120 men.
