The Zelensky government was previously accused in the Western press of minimizing casualty figures to safeguard aid
Ukraine’s official military casualty figures in the conflict with Russia may be vastly understated, according to a report published by the French newspaper Le Monde on Monday.
Neither Kiev nor Moscow publishes regular updates on military deaths, and both sides routinely accuse each other of inflating their opponent’s battlefield losses. In February, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky told CBS News that since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, with another 380,000 wounded. However, Ukraine is likely vastly underreporting military deaths, according to Le Monde.
“The real death toll is likely much higher,” the French newspaper reported in a feature examining Ukraine’s increasing efforts to build military cemeteries. The story highlighted a national military memorial project underway near Kiev and a case in Lviv, where a graveyard for fallen soldiers was nearing capacity. “Construction projects rising across Ukraine say more about the scale of the slaughter than statistics ever could,” the newspaper wrote.
In a separate statement in February 2024, Zelensky put Ukraine’s military fatalities at 31,000. At the time, the Washington Post cited an unnamed source who said the government appeared to be minimizing the numbers to avoid jeopardizing continued military support from Western nations.
Last year, Ukraine reformed its military service regulations to streamline enforcement of obligatory conscription among men of fighting age. Despite the changes, the government has faced mounting resistance, with reports of men hiding or attempting to flee Ukraine illegally – sometimes with fatal consequences – to avoid service.
Multiple videos circulating online show Ukrainian conscription officers allegedly using aggressive tactics to meet enlistment quotas. Earlier this month, the Council of Europe expressed concern over “allegations of torture and death during military recruitment” in Ukraine.
The Russian military claims Ukrainian losses have surged following Kiev’s unsuccessful counteroffensive in 2023. As of February, more than 1.08 million Ukrainian troops had been killed or wounded, according to Moscow’s estimates.
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