Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed the staggering human cost of Russia’s invasion. During an interview with NBC News show “Meet the Press” broadcast on February 16, the Ukrainian leader stated that more than 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy confirmed that approximately 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured during the war. He also acknowledged that “tens of thousands” more Ukrainian soldiers are currently either missing in action or being held in Russian captivity.
In addition to military losses, Zelenskyy addressed the issue of civilian casualties. The Ukrainian President said it was impossible to provide accurate figures for the number of victims in Russian-occupied Ukraine, but feared that tens of thousands of civilians had been killed amid the destruction of entire cities by Russian artillery bombardment.
He also voiced concerns over the death toll from Russian war crimes in occupied regions, noting the chilling evidence uncovered in liberated areas of the country. In towns and cities freed from Russian occupation, Ukrainian troops have repeatedly discovered mass graves and signs of widespread human rights abuses including the systematic use of torture. “We do not know how many thousands have been killed in areas under Russian occupation,” Zelenskyy commented.