Ukrainian President Zelenskyy confirms over 55,000 soldier fatalities in Russian conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that approximately 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield as a result of the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia. In a prerecorded interview with France 2 TV, Zelenskyy also mentioned that a “large number” of people are considered missing.

The comments were made in the lead-up to the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and amid ongoing ceasefire talks in Abu Dhabi. Negotiators from both sides have been engaged in discussions aimed at ending Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.

According to Zelenskyy, the estimated number of Ukrainian soldiers killed on the battlefield is 55,000. This figure is consistent with previous estimates made by other organizations, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which reported that close to 400,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded since the war began.

In contrast, Russian forces have also incurred significant losses in the conflict. A recent estimate by British defense intelligence put the overall number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded at 1.1 million.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia will continue to fight until Kyiv makes necessary decisions to bring an end to the war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian officials have concluded a “productive” first day of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi.

The conflict remains unresolved, with key issues including Moscow’s demands for Ukraine to give up control of certain territories and the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The two sides remain far apart on these issues, despite ongoing negotiations.

Source: Al Jazeera