31,000 soldiers killed since start of Ukraine crisis, Zelensky says

KYIV/MOSCOW — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in action since the start of the conflict two years ago.

It is the first time that Kyiv has confirmed the figure, The Associated Press said.

"31,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed in this war. … Each of these losses is a great sacrifice for us," Zelensky said at the "Ukraine. Year 2024"forum in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian leader said he wouldn't disclose the number of troops wounded or missing. He also said "tens of thousands of civilians" had been killed in occupied areas of Ukraine, but said no exact figures would be available until the conflict was over.

During a news conference after the forum, Zelensky said four brigades did not take part in the country's counteroffensive against Russian forces because they hadn't received the equipment they were expecting.

The most recent data on deaths on the Russian side came from Russia's Defense Ministry, published in January 2023, which pointed to over 6,000 deaths, AP reported.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustan Umerov said at the forum that half of all Western military support promised to Ukraine had failed to arrive on time, complicating the task of military planners and ultimately costing the lives of soldiers in the conflict.

Umerov said Western leaders need to deliver on their commitments if Ukraine is to have any chance of holding out against Russia.

Russia improving positions

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday its troops had pushed back Ukrainian forces near Klishchiivka, Dyliivka and Kurdiumivka, villages south of Bakhmut. It also said Moscow's troops had taken better positions near Avdiivka.

The ministry said Russian troops had repelled seven Ukrainian counterattacks in the area. Seventy-seven Ukrainian drones were destroyed, the ministry said.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, in its evening report, said Kyiv's forces had repelled 18 attacks near Avdiivka. It said five Russian attacks had been beaten back near Bakhmut, referring to Klishchiivka, Kurdiumivka and other localities.

Meanwhile, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov warned on Monday that Russia would retaliate in kind to any actions taken by Western countries against its assets abroad.

"This is not a question for us. We are watching the decisions of the Western countries," Siluanov said during an interview with Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, adding, "Any actions with our assets will receive a symmetrical response."

Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia since February 2022, freezing both sovereign and private assets. The country's currency reserves were frozen to the amount of roughly $300 billion.

Agencies via Xinhua