Ukraine lost 43,000 soldiers during full-scale war — Zelenskyy

He released the information on social media following a meeting with French and U.S. Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump.

“Since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has lost 43,000 soldiers who were killed on the battlefield. There have been 370,000 cases of assistance to the wounded, with approximately 50 percent of those injured returning to service. This includes all injuries, from minor to repeated, and every case is documented,” Zelenskyy stated.

He added that one of the key distinctions between the Russian army and the Ukrainian Defense Forces lies in the development of frontline medical care, which is significantly more advanced in Ukraine’s forces.

According to Zelenskyy, since September 2024, Russia has been suffering battlefield losses at a ratio of 5 or even 6 to 1 compared to Ukraine. As a result, the total losses of the Russian military have surpassed 750,000, with 198,000 soldiers reported as killed.

In addition, the President said that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are currently in Russian captivity, and some of them have been held captive since 2014. 

“Since February 24, 2022, we have successfully brought back 3,935 of our people from Russia: 3,767 soldiers and 168 civilians. We must bring everyone home, and there is still much work to be done. And we must uncover the truth about all those who remain missing,” Zelenskyy wrote.

He also mentioned that several million people remain in the territories occupied by Russia in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian authorities have reportedly deported hundreds of thousands of children from Ukrainian soil. The President highlighted that Russia disperses these children across its vast territory, making their return an extremely difficult task.

“This is the reality of this war. It cannot be resolved with a piece of paper and a few signatures. A ceasefire without guarantees can be broken at any moment, as Putin has already demonstrated. To prevent further Ukrainian losses, we must ensure a reliable peace and not turn a blind eye to the ongoing occupation,” the President emphasized.

• According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as of December 8, Russia has already lost 753,370 of its military in Ukraine during the full-scale war.