
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris, 7 December 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/MOHAMMED BADRA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has disclosed that approximately 43,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Writing on his Telegram channel on Sunday, Zelensky also noted that about 50% of wounded Ukrainian servicemen returned to the front after being treated for their injuries. “Our people are defending their home at the cost of their lives, and every life of our soldiers and our civilians is valuable to us,” Zelensky continued.
Zelensky also estimated Russian losses in the war so far, saying that he believed 198,000 Russian military personnel had been killed and that over 550,000 Russian troops had been wounded. Russia has not published an official death toll for its soldiers in Ukraine since late 2022.
“One of the key differences between the Russian army and the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the standard of medical assistance available on the frontlines, which is much higher in our army,” Zelensky wrote.
“We all know Putin very well. … He began his career with a brutal war against Chechnya and is constantly fomenting other wars. He can only be stopped by force, by the power of the leaders of the world who can become leaders of peace, Zelensky wrote, adding: “We are counting on America and the whole world to stop Putin. That is the only thing he is afraid of.”