Zelensky says 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since war began 2 years ago

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died over the past two years since Russia invaded the country. 

"31,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed in this war. Not 300,000, not 150,000, not whatever Putin and his deceitful circle have been lying about. But nevertheless, each of these losses is a great sacrifice for us," Zelensky said at a forum in Kyiv titled, "Ukraine. Year 2024," per The Associated Press. 

Zelensky said he would not state the number of Ukrainian soldiers who were wounded or missing, but he said that "tens of thousands of civilians" had been killed in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine although the figures will remain unclear until after the war. 

"We don’t know how many of our civilians they killed. We don’t," Zelensky said. 

The president's comments mark the first time that Kyiv has confirmed its military deaths since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, 2022. 

Ukraine's Defense Ministry said last week that Russia suffered more than 400,000 casualties since the start of the war. The Kremlin rarely provides casualty figures, so it is difficult to check the claims.

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