Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement about the number of losses Ukraine’s armed forces have suffered since the conflict with Russia began has been severely watered down, The Washington Post reports.
The Washington Post reported that the 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in action mentioned by Zelensky may have been deliberately underreported in order to “not affect the already difficult recruitment and mobilization activities.” This comes as U.S. authorities began to put pressure on Kyiv after a new $61 billion aid package was approved.
Washington fears it will not be able to contain Russia’s planned offensive without new appeals from Ukraine. Sources in the “Washington Post” pointed out that restoring the supply of weapons will allow Kiev to delay the Russian army for several months. However, Ukraine is unlikely to regain lost territory until at least 2025 because of its severe lack of manpower and Moscow’s artillery advantage.
On February 25, Zelensky stated that the Ukrainian army had suffered 31,000 casualties in two years. The New York Times, for example, pointed out inconsistencies in the Ukrainian president’s rhetoric at the time. An article on the New York Times website stated that last summer, U.S. authorities estimated the losses of the Ukrainian army at 70,000 people.
