55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on battlefield —Zelenskyy
Announcement comes as US think-tank report estimates total military casualties in the conflict for two sides may reach two million by spring 2026.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told France 2 TV that the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed on the battlefield is estimated at 55,000.
"In Ukraine, officially the number of soldiers killed on the battlefield - either professionals or those conscripted - is 55,000," said Zelenskyy in a pre-recorded interview broadcast on Wednesday.
Speaking in comments translated into French, he added that a "large number of people" are officially considered missing.
The disclosure has come as nearly two million military personnel have been killed, wounded, or gone missing in the war, according to a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
The report has said Russia’s war has resulted in about 1.2 million Russian casualties and between 500,000 and 600,000 Ukrainian casualties.
CSIS has estimated that Russian forces have suffered as many as 325,000 killed since the war began nearly four years ago.
Widespread destruction
The war has also exacted a devastating toll on civilians.
United Nations monitors have recorded more civilian deaths in Ukraine in 2025 than in any year except 2022.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said more than 2,500 civilians were killed and over 12,000 wounded during 2025 alone, while warning the true figures are likely far higher.
Many reports have documented widespread destruction across Ukraine, with cities reduced to rubble, energy infrastructure repeatedly targeted, and millions of people displaced.
Large swathes of housing, transport networks, and industrial facilities have been damaged or destroyed, placing a heavy strain on Ukraine’s economy and reconstruction efforts.