Zelensky reports battlefield deaths
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died on the battlefield during the four-year war with Russia. He shared the figure in an interview with France 2 TV on Wednesday, adding that a large number of people remain officially missing.
Ukraine and Russia have regularly released estimates of each other’s losses but rarely disclose their own figures. The BBC has verified the deaths of almost 160,000 Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
The last update from Zelensky came in December 2024, when he reported 43,000 Ukrainian soldier deaths. “In Ukraine, officially the number of soldiers killed on the battlefield – either professionals or conscripts – is 55,000,” he said.
US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi
US President Donald Trump has spearheaded efforts to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 22 February 2022. Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks in Abu Dhabi with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators for a second day on Thursday to advance a US-proposed peace deal.
The trilateral talks have been “detailed and productive,” Witkoff wrote on X, but he acknowledged that “significant work remains.” The most challenging issue remains territory, with Russia demanding Ukraine cede the rest of the eastern industrial Donbas region that Moscow does not currently control.
Zelensky said the negotiations have been difficult. Ukraine intends to remain “as constructive as possible” but wants “faster results.”
Missing soldiers and ongoing exchanges
The official figure cited by Zelensky excludes many missing people. Ukraine’s interior ministry recorded over 70,000 individuals – both soldiers and civilians – as missing six months ago, but it does not provide a breakdown.
Families across Ukraine continue to search for loved ones who never returned from battle. Some hope that missing soldiers are prisoners of war held in Russia, although access to Russian prisons remains highly restricted. Others may have been killed, with bodies not recovered or not yet identified through DNA testing.
Occasionally, Ukraine and Russia arrange prisoner and body exchanges. The Abu Dhabi talks resulted in the release of 314 prisoners – the first exchange in five months. Zelensky confirmed that 157 Ukrainians returned home, while Russia released its soldiers in return. Witkoff described the swap as evidence that sustained diplomatic engagement delivers tangible results in efforts to end the war.
Renewed Russian attacks amid winter
The Abu Dhabi negotiations coincided with renewed Russian attacks following a week-long pause requested by Trump. Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy sector, leaving thousands without power as temperatures dropped to -20C (-4F).
Also read: Russia launches major strikes on Ukraine energy sector
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