Your Actions Determine Victory

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, recently made a statement regarding the fate of his country, expressing that the victory of Ukraine is contingent upon the support they receive from the Western world. Zelensky exhibited confidence that the United States would approve a critical military aid package that could potentially shift the balance in their favor. He expressed, “Whether Ukraine will lose, whether it will be very difficult for us and whether there will be a large number of victims depends on you, on our partners, on the Western world,” during a news conference held in Kiev. He further conveyed his optimism towards the U.S. Congress, stating, “there is hope for Congress, and I’m sure it will be positive.”

In this conference, Zelensky also revealed the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since the onset of the invasion, estimating the figure to be around 31,000. This marked the first time that Ukraine has given a specific number in relation to the casualties suffered in its military ranks during this war. Zelensky clarified, “31,000 Ukrainians, military personnel, died in this war,” when inquired about the number of casualties. He also made it clear that this figure does not account for the wounded and missing soldiers.

He further emphasized the significance of this loss, saying, “For us, that’s a lot of people.” Zelensky dismissed the estimates that reported the Ukrainian death toll to be around 300,000. In an attempt to prevent Russia from gauging the number of Ukrainians sent to the front, he opted not to disclose the number of injured Ukrainian soldiers. In addition, Zelensky provided an estimation of Russian casualties, stating that “180,000 Russians died,” and half a million more were wounded in the conflict.

Zelensky also shed light on the civilian casualties, revealing that “tens of thousands of civilians” either died or were tortured to death in the territories occupied by Russia. He explained that the exact number of civilian casualties could only be ascertained once the war has ended. He also made a revelation concerning the plans for Kiev’s counteroffensive, which were allegedly leaked to Russia beforehand.

“Our action plans for the counteroffensive were on the table in the Kremlin before the counteroffensive actions began,” Zelensky disclosed during the news conference in Kiev. He also stated that his military leaders were in the process of devising “several plans” for the battle strategy for this year, owing to the information leaks.