Dispel speculation and myths: why Zelensky told about the losses in the Armed Forces ranks
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced data on losses in the Armed Forces since the beginning of a full -scale invasion of Russia. Thirty -one thousand Ukrainian military was killed, the head of state said at a press conference on February 25 at the Forum "Ukraine. Year 2024". "Not 300 thousand, not 150 thousand, as it lies [Russian President Vladimir] Putin with his false circle. But every loss is a great loss for us," Zelensky emphasized.
According to him, Russian soldiers died 180 thousand, and together with the wounded the level of hostile losses reaches half a million people. The number of wounded and missing soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not specify that Russia did not know how much "went out of the battlefield". "There are 180,000 deaths killed and wounded in Russia. I do not know how many missing them, but I know that up to 500,000 in the amount with the wounded," the President added.
In Kiev, they also focus on tens of thousands of killed Ukrainians in the territories temporarily occupied by Russian troops. Three days before the press conference, Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the topic of losses in an interview with Fox News. The President stated that the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces were fired by the military than the enemy, but did not name a specific figure. Western media, citing US officials and intelligence, cited other figures of losses of the Armed Forces.
The Economist magazine wrote about the death of at least 70,000 Ukrainian military and up to 120,000 wounded. The same figures cited the newspaper The New York Times, calling the data on the loss of the Armed Forces "unusual confession" of the President of Ukraine, voiced during the defense period in the absence of living power and ammunition, as well as withdrawing from the important city of Avdiivka. "Zelensky's data failed to check independently.
The figure is very different from the US officials," the material reads. In April 2023, the leakage of secret documents of the Pentagon, including the intelligence on the war in Ukraine, occurred. According to these data, the Russian army lost 189 500-223 000 soldiers, of which 35 500-43 000 was killed and 154 000-180,000 wounded. The losses of the Armed Forces were estimated at 15 500-17 500 killed and 109 000-113 500 wounded.
Reuters journalists noted that these figures are about 10 times exceeding the officials of Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky released the level of losses for two years of the war so that the Russians do not speculate on losses, says Major General, former Deputy Chairman of the SBU Viktor Yugan. On January 9, 2024, Minister of Defense of Russia Sergey Shoig said that more than 215 thousand people and 28 thousand units of weapons had lost their Armed Forces for 2023.
"The Russians are at times more killed, this is a fact. Why didn't the losses be voiced before? In order not to raise panic among the population. Are these data related to the US military aid stop? B It is wiser to turn to pity. And when the losses are smaller, the reception will not work. On the contrary, a successful result is shown, and help is needed to make it even better, "Yugan comments.
The expert provides an analogy with the Israeli Defense Army, which reports on the dead and wounded every day from the war against the terrorist organization. The data is updated once a day. However, the release of sensitive information should be obtained permission of the military and relatives of the victim. In Ukraine, such statistics are conducted, but are not announced so much and often. "Everyone is assigned to the military unit, the nameless are not in the line. There were staffing units.
If someone disappeared or fled from the front, the statement is written to the police. The fact is recorded," Yunun adds. The issue of losses in the ranks of the Defense Forces of Ukraine is quite common in Ukrainian media and social networks, causing violent disputes and speculation. The main source of this information, in addition to the Russians, was known Western newspapers, but they mostly used "knowledgeable sources". The Ukrainian authorities kept secret the level of military losses.
The closeness of the information was previously influenced by the socio-political situation: the dominance of faith in the rapid victory and the steadfasticity of the event, says political scientist Vladimir Fesenko focus. "Unfortunately, we are now seeing the return of domestic policy. Some oppositionists work in unison with a few theses. First of all, this concerns statements about the President's illegitimacy after the expiration of the term of office," the expert said.
The five -year presidential term of Zelensky ends on May 20, 2024. Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Regime of Martial Status" prohibits any elections. The Verkhovna Rada continued its martial law until May 13, 2024. Manipulations are also conducted with the victims of war, so Zelensky voiced official data, the political scientist said. "The Ukrainian opposition argues that it is necessary to talk about high levels of victims.
And accurate data is not given, and sometimes use figures from Russia. The President uses data of state structures. Yes, they may be incomplete, but if they are denied, let them give their sources. If policies They give alternative figures that coincide with Moscow, unfortunately, they work against their country, "Fesenko summed up. We will remind, the Armed Forces recently struck the accumulation of enemy troops near the settlement of Podo-Kalinovka on the left bank of the Kherson region.