Russia-Ukraine war: 31,000 Ukrainian troops killed since war with Russia began, says Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answers media questions during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo / AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action in the two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Zelenskyy said that the number was far lower than estimates given by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government.

“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”, Zelenskyy said at the “Ukraine. Year 2024″ forum in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian leader said he wouldn’t disclose the number of troops that were wounded or missing. He also said “tens of thousands of civilians” had been killed in occupied areas of Ukraine, but said no exact figures would be available until the war was over.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answers media questions during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo / AP

“We don’t know how many of our civilians they killed. We don’t,” he said.

It’s the first time Kyiv has confirmed the number of its losses since the start of Russia’s full-scale war on February 24, 2022.

Russia has provided few official casualty figures. The most recent data from the Defence Ministry, published in January 2023, pointed to just over 6000 deaths, although reports from US and UK officials put that number significantly higher.

A US intelligence report declassified in mid-December 2023 estimated 315,000 Russian troops had been killed or wounded in Ukraine. If accurate, the figure would represent 87 per cent of the roughly 360,000 troops Russia had before the war, according to the report.

Independent Russian news outlet Mediazona said on Saturday about 75,000 Russian men died across 2022 and 2023 while fighting in the war.

A joint investigation published by Mediazona and Meduza, another independent Russian news site, indicates that the rate of Russia’s losses in Ukraine is not slowing and Moscow is losing about 120 men a day.