Nearly 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the Russian offensive – DW – 02/25/2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this Sunday (02/25/2024) raised the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since the beginning of a large-scale Russian military offensive two years ago to 31,000.

This is the first time that the Ukrainian side has reported a specific number of deaths among its ranks during the war.

“31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in this war,” the president said at a forum. Not 300,000 or 150,000, not whatever lies Putin and his deceitful circle are telling. However, each of these losses is a great sacrifice for us. Is.” Kyiv.

The Ukrainian president did not want to reveal the number of wounded Ukrainian soldiers so as not to help Russia learn how many Ukrainians had gone to the front.

Similarly, Zelensky estimated that Russia had recorded 180,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries. This is the first time that any side to the conflict has published its official casualty figures.

The Ukrainian president also said that “thousands of civilians” have been killed or murdered after torture in Russian-occupied territories. Zelensky said the exact numbers would be known only when the offensive ends.

EFE/AP/DPA/RR