Zelensky says 31,000 troops killed since the start of war – Two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It marks a rare comment on military deaths from the country, as other estimates suggest a much higher figure. 

The president would not give the number of those wounded, suggesting it would help Russian military planning. 

The update came after the country’s defence minister said half of all Western aid for Ukraine has been delayed, costing lives and territory. 

Zelensky said that he was providing a death toll update in response to the inflated figures that Russia has quoted. 

“31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in this war. Not 300,000 or 150,000, or whatever Putin and his lying circle are saying. But each of these losses is a great loss for us.”

Speaking about the wider losses in the war, Zelensky said tens of thousands of civilians had died in the areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia but the true number was unknown.

“I don’t know how many of them died, how many were killed, how many were murdered, tortured, how many were deported.”