Russia lost between 42,000 and 43,000 soldiers on the front in September alone, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. According to him, Moscow is failing to achieve success on the battlefield despite the scale of the losses.
Zelensky spoke to journalists in Priluki, where he was with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband. The two visited the site of a Russian missile strike on a high-rise apartment building.
„Earlier this year, they started losing over 30,000 people on the battlefield. But he doesn't pay attention to it; he is indifferent to what is happening. So, they are losing over 40,000 people a month“, said the Ukrainian president.
Zelensky: Every loss is a tragedy
The Ukrainian head of state described the deaths of 22 people in Priluki as a huge tragedy for Ukraine. He put these casualties in the context of the ongoing Russian attacks and said that the loss of every child is a tragedy for both the family and the entire country.
“We are simply losing children. For what? For one person“, said Zelensky.The president accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of not accounting for the thousands of Russian losses every month. The figures for Russian casualties cited by Zelensky are part of a Ukrainian assessment and have not been confirmed by an independent source in the statement.
Kiev to push for new sanctions
In his speech, Zelensky also criticized the European Union's decision to lift sanctions against two Russian oligarchs. He described the move as a “terrible mistake“ and said that the Ukrainian team would raise the issue in Brussels.
“They lifted sanctions against two individuals; we will present a list of 10 more names“, said the Ukrainian president. According to him, Ukraine will continue to push for expanded sanctions pressure against Russian officials and businessmen.
Sources: news.bg