Zelenskyy reveals 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed fighting against Russia | Russia-Ukraine war News
Russia Signals Continuation of Hostilities Amid Ongoing Ceasefire Talks
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced Wednesday that Russian forces would persist in their military efforts until Ukraine makes the necessary decisions to conclude the ongoing conflict. Peskov’s remarks came as critical ceasefire negotiations took place in Abu Dhabi, where diplomats are striving to address the largest armed confrontation in Europe since World War II.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that approximately 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the commencement of the war with Russia, with a significant number also still unaccounted for. In a prerecorded interview with France 2 TV, Zelenskyy clarified that this total includes both professional soldiers and conscripts.
“We officially recognize 55,000 soldiers killed on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy stated, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the identities of those missing. He did not provide a specific figure for the missing personnel. In a previous interview with NBC in February 2025, Zelenskyy had mentioned that over 46,000 Ukrainian service members had been reported dead.
In a mid-2025 assessment, the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that nearly 400,000 Ukrainian troops had either been killed or wounded since the conflict began. A report released last month by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine indicated that Russian military actions resulted in 2,514 civilian deaths and 12,142 injuries in 2025, marking a sharp increase in casualties compared to 2024.
Russian forces have also experienced significant losses during the conflict. Ukraine’s military commander, Oleksandr Syrskii, reported in January that approximately 420,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded in the battles throughout 2025. An October 2025 estimate from British defense intelligence placed the number of Russian casualties at around 1.1 million.
Both Ukraine and Russia are known to limit disclosures regarding their own losses while frequently publicizing enemy casualties. Analysts suggest that both sides may be underreporting their own fatalities while exaggerating the losses suffered by the opposition.
As representatives from both nations concluded what they termed a “productive” first day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration continues to advocate for a resolution to the conflict. However, disagreements persist on critical issues, including Russia’s demands for Ukrainian territorial concessions and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located in a region controlled by Russian forces.
Russia has insisted that Ukraine withdraw its military from the entire Donbas region, including heavily fortified cities viewed as key defensive positions against Russian advances. In contrast, Ukraine has proposed maintaining the current front lines and rejects any unilateral troop withdrawals from territories it still controls. Currently, Russian forces occupy about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized prior to the 2022 invasion.
