Ukraine admits the death of 9,000 of its troops since the start of Russian offensive

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Ukrainian authorities admitted Monday that 9,000 of their troops have lost their lives since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, a figure that includes not only military personnel but also “those who took up arms to participate in the war.”

The commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeri Zaluzhni, has been in charge of updating these figures, during a speech in which he did not offer further details about the deceased, for example to clarify to which corps they belong or whether there are also foreign mercenaries on the list, according to Ukrinform.

Both the Ukrainian and Russian governments have been reluctant in recent months to report their respective combat casualties, although they have given accounts of alleged successes achieved in warfare activities against the enemy.

Kiev does periodically update the death toll on the Russian side, which now stands at about 45,400. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces balance sheet, on Sunday alone about 200 “invaders” perished.