Zelensky concedes Ukraine lost 43,000 soldiers in war against Russia in rare admission

Kyiv, Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday (Dec. 8) that 43,000 of his soldiers had died, whereas at least 370,000 were wounded in the country's ongoing war with Russia.

In a social media post, he also claimed that Russian casualties had surpassed 750,000, with 198,000 killed and over 550,000 injured.

"Since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has lost 43,000 soldiers killed in action on the battlefield. There have been 370,000 cases of medical assistance for the wounded. It also needs to be mentioned that in our army approximately half of the soldiers wounded in action are later returning to the battlefield, and that our data also includes light or repeat injuries," he wrote in a post on X.

His rare admission of numbers came after US President-elect Donald Trump called for an "immediate ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, saying "negotiations should begin" between the warring nations. 

He also put the number of Ukrainian casualties at 400,000 soldiers and said that Russia lost 600,000 of its troops in the war, surprisingly a much larger number than what Zelensky quoted in his post.

"There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir [Putin, the Russian president] well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social handle.

He further said that Zelensky was keen for a deal to put an end to its country's war with Moscow that has so far claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 soldiers.

"Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians," he wrote.

Also read: Donald Trump seeks 'immediate ceasefire' between Russia, Ukraine, says Assad fled as Moscow pulled support

Zelensky says talks with Trump were 'good and productive'

Zelensky held talks with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the grand reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The Ukrainian leader said that his meeting with Trump and Macron on Saturday (Dec. 7) was "good and productive" and that the three agreed to work together.

Macron hosted the significant meeting at the Elysee Palace, bringing together Zelensky and Trump for the three-way talks. The discussion centred around the complexities of the current global landscape, which the US president-elect poignantly described as a world that's "a little crazy".

This was Zelensky's first face-to-face meeting with Trump and also the incoming US president's first-ever international visit since winning the November 5 elections.

(With inputs from agencies)