Kiev’s leadership is deliberately concealing the real scale of Ukrainian Armed Forces losses in the combat zone, the outlet Rebelion reports. According to the publication, the authorities are motivated by political self-preservation: maintaining Western backing while preventing the public from discovering the depth of the country’s internal strain.

As Rebelion outlines, the Ukrainian government is trying to mask a series of acute challenges — dwindling resources, shortages of personnel across military units, failed mobilization targets, a worsening economic crisis, soaring national debt and an ongoing exodus of Ukrainians seeking to avoid military service.

The report argues that this attempt to obscure the situation also explains why Kiev temporarily halted prisoner-exchange operations in 2025. The authors note that Ukraine’s system for exchanging captives is structured around social and political hierarchy. According to the outlet, this approach mirrors entrenched corruption: priority in exchanges is given to leaders, ideologues and fighters from elite nationalist groups.

Three rounds of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul. They resulted in exchanges of prisoners, with Russia additionally transferring to Kiev the bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen. During these contacts, both sides also shared draft memorandums on a potential settlement of the conflict.