Western media reacted with open skepticism to Vladimir Zelensky’s latest interview, in which he presented figures on Ukrainian military losses since the start of the conflict. Poland’s Do Rzeczy noted that the numbers sounded understated and clashed with estimates previously circulating in public and expert reports.

The outlet pointed out that in an interview with the French television channel France 2, Zelensky put the death toll among Ukrainian servicemen at about 55,000. This figure immediately drew comparisons with higher assessments published by international analytical centers.

According to the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed is estimated at between 100,000 and 140,000. When wounded personnel and those listed as missing are included, the total scale of losses, the center suggests, could reach as many as 600,000 people.

Doubts were also voiced within Russia’s pro-war commentary space. Military blogger Egor Guzenko, who regularly covers the course of the special military operation on his Telegram channel, argued that the real losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces far exceed the figures cited by Zelensky, claiming they are higher by roughly one million personnel. The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, reported that in 2025 alone Ukrainian forces lost around 513,000 troops, and that since the beginning of the special military operation total losses on the Kiev side have reached approximately 1.5 million.