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Zelenskyy: Russia Lost 346,000 Soldiers in 2025—Nearly Equal to Its Total Mobilization That Year
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s military losses in 2025 nearly equal the number of troops it mobilized that year, claiming Moscow failed to gain meaningful ground on the battlefield, he told Axios in an interview published on October 27.
“Russia can’t do it. Putin doesn’t have enough people. His strong battalions have been destroyed. Today on the battlefield, we stay mostly where we stood during these last two or three months,” Zelenskyy said.
He claimed his generals estimate that Russia has suffered around 346,000 killed and wounded this year—a figure that roughly matches its total mobilization over the same period.
Zelenskyy also stated that new US sanctions targeting Russia’s oil sector will weaken Moscow’s war effort but stressed that Ukraine still needs long-range missiles to compel Russian leader Vladimir Putin to negotiate peace.
Ukrainian President described the sanctions introduced by US President Donald Trump—his first major punitive measures against Russia in his second term—as “significant,” but argued that pressure alone won’t stop the Kremlin.
“If Putin doesn’t stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions are one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles,” he said.
The comments follow an October 17 meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump, during which the Ukrainian leader pushed for Tomahawk missiles and tougher measures on Moscow, according to Axios.
Trump later canceled his planned summit with Putin and imposed blocking sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, which Ukraine estimates could cut Russian oil revenues by up to $5 billion a month.
Zelenskyy confirmed he would accept Trump’s proposal to “freeze” the current front line as a basis for future peace talks but doubted Putin’s willingness to engage seriously.
“We understood each other,” Zelenskyy said. “But every time Putin rejects Trump’s offers, escalation follows,” Axios reported.
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Looking ahead, Zelenskyy urged the US and allies to give Ukraine strike capabilities against Russian military and energy infrastructure, arguing that even the threat of such weapons could bring Moscow to the table.
He also expressed hope that Trump’s upcoming talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping could lead Beijing to scale back purchases of Russian oil.
Previously, it was reported that US Treasury Chief called Russian envoy a “propagandist” and stated that sanctions are crippling Moscow’s economy.
