Fifty-five thousand Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives on the battlefield

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that approximately 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield since the outbreak of the war, underscoring the immense human cost borne by the country after years of sustained fighting. The disclosure was made during an interview broadcast on Wednesday, 4 February, on the French television channel France 2, according to reports carried by Turkey’s state-backed broadcaster TRT World.

President Zelensky clarified that the figure of 55,000 represents the officially confirmed number of Ukrainian military personnel who have died in combat. This total includes both professional soldiers and those conscripted through compulsory mobilisation. He stressed that these are verified cases and do not encompass the many individuals who remain unaccounted for amid the chaos of war.

In addition to the confirmed fatalities, Zelensky acknowledged that a substantial number of Ukrainian service members are still listed as missing. Many of these cases remain unresolved due to the intensity of fighting in certain regions, the destruction of infrastructure, and the difficulty of accessing front-line areas. Ukrainian authorities continue efforts to identify the missing, though the president admitted that the true scale of losses may only become fully clear long after hostilities subside.

Independent assessments paint an even grimmer picture when casualties on both sides of the conflict are taken into account. A report by the United States-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), estimates that by the spring of 2026 the combined number of military casualties — including those killed, wounded, or missing — could reach nearly two million. This projection highlights the extraordinary scale of attrition in what has become one of the most destructive conflicts in Europe since the Second World War.

According to CSIS calculations, Russia has suffered an estimated 1.2 million military casualties since the war began, while Ukrainian losses are believed to range between 500,000 and 600,000. The report further suggests that over the course of nearly four years of fighting, approximately 325,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed. Analysts caution that such figures are inherently difficult to verify and are often revised as new information emerges.

Beyond the military toll, the war has inflicted devastating consequences on Ukraine’s civilian population. United Nations observers have reported that civilian deaths in Ukraine reached their highest level in 2025 since the early phase of the conflict in 2022. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has documented at least 2,500 civilian deaths and more than 12,000 injuries during 2025 alone. The agency has repeatedly warned, however, that the actual numbers are likely to be significantly higher, as many incidents go unreported in active combat zones.

Together, these figures illustrate not only the immense sacrifices made by Ukrainian forces but also the profound and continuing suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire, reinforcing international calls for accountability, humanitarian access, and renewed efforts towards a lasting resolution.

Estimated Military and Civilian Casualties

Figures are based on official statements and independent estimates and may be subject to revision.