Ukraine-Russia: Zelensky says 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in war as Kremlin vows to fight on
Around 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in battle in the four years of war, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says.
“In Ukraine, officially the number of soldiers killed on the battlefield – either professionals or those conscripted – is 55,000,” he told France 2 TV.
Russia has warned Ukraine it will not stop fighting until Kyiv makes what the Kremlin considers the right “decisions” to end the conflict.
Talks in Abu Dhabi between US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to continue on Thursday.
But despite reports that the discussions were constructive, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian troops would continue to fight until Kyiv made the “right decisions”.
Moscow wants Kyiv to pull its troops out of the embattled Donetsk region – including a belt of highly fortified cities regarded as one of Ukraine’s strongest defences – effectively forfeiting the territory.
Shortly before the talks began, Russian forces hit a crowded market in eastern Ukraine with cluster munitions. At least seven people were killed and 15 wounded, according to Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin.
