Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted in an interview with the BBC that he knows the exact number of casualties suffered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces every day. However, according to the head of state, this information remains closed to the public in order to avoid it falling into the hands of the Russian military.
Daily losses: harsh realities
"For me, this is a very painful issue and very important. Unfortunately, I see these changes every day and they are not in a positive direction. It is not getting any less. And I cannot tell you this information now, because this is the moment. We do not want the Russians to know all the information," Zelensky noted.
The question of the duration of the war
When asked how long Kyiv could continue to suffer such losses, Zelensky stressed that the main thing is to save lives and minimize losses. He also drew attention to the difference in approaches to treating the wounded between the Ukrainian and Russian military.
"If we have one killed for every 6-8 wounded, then they have every second or third. This suggests that they are not fighting for the survival of their man, they are leaving him on the battlefield. And therefore I cannot compare this process with 'how much longer we can'," the Ukrainian leader explained.
Factors affecting the duration of the fight
Zelenskyy highlighted several key factors that determine Ukraine's ability to continue the fight:
- The morale of the military.
- The morale of the people who support the military.
- Unity between military and civilians in Ukraine.
- The unity of the West in supporting Ukraine.
"This is such a great union and we can fight to victory, but only if all these elements work. And that's why we need to look at this, these are the main factors," Zelenskyy concluded.
Ukraine's losses in the war
On February 25, 2024, Zelenskyy first announced the number of dead defenders of Ukraine. According to him, 31 thousand Ukrainian soldiers died in this war. However, as The New York Times reports, it was not possible to conduct an independent analysis of this statement. Last summer, American analysts estimated Ukraine's losses to be much higher - about 70 thousand dead and 100-120 thousand wounded.
The number of dead military personnel named by the president is adequate, however, according to an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and volunteer Myroslav Gay, there are also missing persons, among whom may be fallen heroes.
