Ukrainian war dead reaches 43,000, Zelensky says in rare update

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that around 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, marking a rare acknowledgment of the devastating human cost of the ongoing conflict. In a social media post, Zelensky also reported that approximately 370,000 injuries have been recorded, although this includes soldiers injured multiple times, with some of the injuries being minor.

Alongside these figures, Zelensky estimated that 198,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, and an additional 550,000 have been wounded, though the accuracy of these numbers has not been independently verified by external sources. The Ukrainian president’s admission highlights the significant toll the war continues to take on both sides, particularly as it escalates into its second year.

The figures shared by Zelensky represent a dramatic increase in Ukrainian casualties since earlier in the year. The last time the Ukrainian leader provided an update on the death toll was in February, when he stated that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed. The latest figures come amidst growing international attention to the human cost of the war, particularly following claims made by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. On social media, Trump controversially suggested that Ukraine had “ridiculously lost” 400,000 soldiers, with close to 600,000 Russians either killed or wounded. Trump did not specify the sources of these claims but emphasized his belief that the war had resulted in too many unnecessary deaths.

Zelensky’s numbers regarding Russian casualties are somewhat aligned with estimates from Western officials. These sources suggest that Russia’s total casualties—dead and wounded—approach 800,000, including both military and civilian figures. The UK’s Defence Ministry reported that Russia suffered 45,680 casualties in November alone, marking the highest monthly toll since the invasion began in February 2022. According to UK Defence Intelligence, an average of 1,523 Russian soldiers are being killed or wounded each day, with significant losses in late November, when Russia reportedly lost over 2,000 soldiers in just one day.

The Kremlin has disputed these figures, claiming that Ukrainian losses are “many times higher” than Russia’s. However, international observers widely agree that Russian casualties are considerably higher, citing Moscow’s aggressive and high-risk military tactics, which have led to massive losses among Russian forces.

The war has claimed even more lives as fighting intensifies. Russian forces continue to make slow but steady progress along the eastern front, capturing and reclaiming around 2,350 square kilometers of territory (907 square miles) in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s western Kursk region since the beginning of the year. Ukrainian forces, however, still control a small patch of Russian territory, which was taken during a surprise offensive in August. Russia’s Ministry of Defence has claimed that more than 38,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region alone, though these figures remain unverified.

The casualty toll continues to rise as Russian and Ukrainian forces clash, with Russia having annexed Crimea in 2014 before launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Russia has maintained control of parts of Ukraine’s southern and eastern territories.

In his social media post, Zelensky also addressed the broader political implications of the war, including the prospects for an eventual peace deal. His comments followed a meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump, who has expressed a desire to reduce U.S. involvement in the conflict. Trump, whose stance on the war has gained some support among certain segments of the American public, has repeatedly claimed that he could end the war “in a day,” though he has not outlined a clear plan for achieving such a resolution.

Zelensky emphasized that any peace agreement would need to be supported by robust international guarantees to ensure Ukraine’s security. He made it clear that Ukraine’s primary goal is to secure “enduring peace” that cannot be undone by Russia in the future. He also rejected Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire, stating that the terms for ending hostilities had already been outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the war. Putin’s demands, which included Ukraine surrendering more territory and renouncing its aspirations to join NATO, have been flatly rejected by Kyiv.

As the war drags on with no clear resolution in sight, the human cost continues to mount, and both sides are preparing for further conflict. For Ukraine, securing international support and a lasting peace deal remains critical, but the path to ending the war is fraught with uncertainty.