Zelensky says 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the full-scale war with Russia. Open-source data suggests a higher toll.
At least 55,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed in Russia’s full-scale war, with many more considered missing, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Wednesday.
“Officially, on the battlefield, the number of soldiers killed, whether career soldiers or mobilized ones, is 55,000,” Zelensky said in an interview with the French public broadcaster France 2. “And there are a large number of people that Ukraine considers missing,” he added.
Ukrainian officials have largely refrained from commenting on the military’s losses since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. In February 2025, Zelensky said that more than 46,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed and nearly 380,000 wounded, with “tens of thousands” more missing or in Russian captivity.
Independent estimates suggest a significantly higher toll. A recent report by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that Ukraine has likely suffered between 100,000 and 140,000 military fatalities through the end of 2025. The think tank placed Ukraine’s total casualties — including killed, wounded, and missing — between 500,000 and 600,000 troops.
Similarly, the UALosses project, which maintains a database of casualties verified through public records, has identified more than 92,000 fallen soldiers, as well as over 89,000 missing and nearly 4,500 prisoners of war.
