KYIVE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has disclosed that approximately 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the ongoing war with Russia. He made this revelation during an interview with the French television channel France 2.
Zelenskyy stated that this figure includes both professional soldiers and those conscripted through mobilization.
He noted that a significant number of military personnel remain listed as missing, though he declined to provide an exact count for them.
This announcement comes as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches its fourth anniversary, and important ceasefire negotiations—brokered by the United States—are underway in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
In a previous interview with an American TV network in February 2025, Zelenskyy had reported that more than 46,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed.
Separately, a Washington-based think tank estimates that since the war began, Ukraine has suffered roughly 400,000 military casualties (killed or wounded combined).
According to the United Nations, Russian attacks in 2025 alone have resulted in over 2,500 civilian deaths and more than 12,000 injuries in Ukraine—a notable increase compared to the previous year.
Russia has also incurred heavy losses. Ukrainian military leadership claims that in 2025, Russian forces suffered approximately 420,000 killed or wounded.
British defense intelligence estimates put Russia’s total casualties since the invasion’s start at over 1.1 million.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia will continue the war until Ukraine makes the decisions necessary to end it.
His comments followed the conclusion of the first phase of the Abu Dhabi talks.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing both sides to reach a compromise to halt the conflict.
However, significant differences persist regarding control of territory, the Donbas region, and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Currently, Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea and large parts of eastern Donbas.
