Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that roughly 31,000 soldiers have been killed since the country was invaded by Russia two years ago.
Zelensky announced the death toll at a news conference on Sunday in Kyiv, a day after the two-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. He also added that the country estimates that Russia has lost 180,000 soldiers during the war and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “lying” about Ukraine’s death toll.
“It’s a big loss to us. 31,000 Ukrainians, Ukrainian soldiers, died in this war. Not 300,000. Not 150,000, whatever Putin is lying with,” Zelensky said, according to CNN. “Every loss is a huge loss to us.”
The numbers have not been verified independently but are a rare admission from the Ukrainian government — which has been quiet about casualty figures.
United States officials estimated 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 120,00 Russian soldiers had been killed in the conflict, according to a New York Times report from August 2023.
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The announcement by Zelensky comes as efforts for further U.S. aid to Ukraine have stalled in Congress, and some former Pentagon officials have warned that Russia has “regained momentum” in the war.
In a joint statement on Saturday, leaders from the Group of Seven, including President Joe Biden, reaffirmed their “unwavering support for Ukraine and salute once more the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people who have been fighting tirelessly for Ukraine’s freedom and democratic future.”