KYIV, Ukraine – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed during a press conference marking the two-year anniversary of the conflict that an estimated 31,000 Ukrainian troops have lost their lives since Russia invaded. This marks the first official estimate provided by Zelensky regarding Ukraine’s military casualties during the ongoing war.
Zelensky emphasized the personal nature of each loss, stating, “Every single person is a tragedy.” The president’s decision to disclose the figure comes after months of closely guarded casualty numbers, with the last public disclosure occurring in December 2022, when an adviser to Zelensky mentioned that up to 13,000 troops had been killed.
As the conflict rages on, Ukraine has been engaged in fierce battles against Russian forces, resulting in a significant increase in the number of casualties. Despite the high toll on Ukrainian troops, Zelensky also mentioned that Russia had suffered approximately 500,000 casualties, including 180,000 troops killed in action.
Recent assessments by U.S. officials, as noted in a leaked Pentagon document, revealed further insights into the extent of military casualties. The document estimated that between 15,500 and 17,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, with an additional 106,500 to 110,500 wounded.
In addition to Ukrainian losses, the same assessment stated that between 35,000 and 42,500 Russian soldiers had been killed, with 150,500 to 177,000 wounded. These figures align with earlier assessments by Western officials, indicating that the conflict has taken a heavy toll on both Ukrainian and Russian forces.