Zelensky Confirms 55,000 Military Deaths in war With Russia
Last update: February 5, 2026
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President says thousands more are missing as peace talks continue in Abu Dhabi.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in four years of war with Russia, with many more officially listed as missing.
He gave the figure in an interview with France 2 television, noting that the toll includes both professional soldiers and conscripts.
CBI News reports that Zelensky said the official death count does not reflect Ukraine’s full losses, as a large number of soldiers and civilians remain missing.
Kyiv and Moscow rarely publish detailed figures on their own casualties. reporters have confirmed the names of nearly 160,000 people killed fighting on Russia’s side, while Western intelligence estimates remain impossible to independently verify.
Zelensky last updated Ukraine’s casualty figures in December 2024, when he said 43,000 soldiers had been killed.
The comments come as US-led efforts to end the war continue. Special US envoys held a second day of talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Abu Dhabi, describing discussions as productive but unresolved, with territory remaining the most difficult issue.
Zelensky said Ukraine would remain constructive in negotiations but wants faster results, as fighting continues and civilian infrastructure remains under attack.
