Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has lost around 50,000 soldiers since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, while approximately 400,000 troops have been wounded, offering one of his latest public assessments of the country's military losses.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, Zelensky said he remains cautious about revealing detailed casualty figures. "Sorry, to be honest, I don't want to be very open about it, because the Russians will understand what's going on with our army. We have about 50,000 soldiers killed, and we had about 400,000 wounded. And there is a huge number of people who have disappeared," he said.
Asked to compare the losses suffered by both sides, Zelensky claimed Russia has sustained about 1.6 million casualties since the war began, including roughly 700,000 soldiers killed.
Responding to a question about the current state of the war, Zelensky rejected the idea that either side has achieved a decisive advantage on the battlefield. "From the real situation on the battlefield, it's important that the initiative is not in the hands of Russia. We are not losing, and they are not winning," he said.
The Ukrainian president also argued that the conflict in the Middle East is affecting the war in Ukraine. Although he said he had not discussed the issue directly with the U.S. president, Zelensky maintained that Russia benefits from continued instability in the region because it diverts American attention and military resources.
