Zelensky said that since the beginning of the war with Russia, 31 thousand Ukrainian soldiers have died

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said this Sunday in Kyiv that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since the start of the war with Russia.

“31 thousand Ukrainian soldiers died in this war. It was not 300 thousand, not 150 thousand… Putin is lying… but for us it is still a big loss,” he said. This number, he explained, does not include wounded and missing soldiers.

For the first time since the end of 2022, Ukraine released official data when the president Mikhail Podolyak said that 13 thousand people died. Russia keeps this data secret.

Zelensky refuses to negotiate with Putin

The Ukrainian leader also once again ruled out the possibility of negotiations with his Russian counterpart until Vladimir Putin admits defeat in the war.

Zelensky’s announcement came at a news conference as the conflict sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year.

“Is it possible to talk to a deaf person? Is it possible to talk to a person who kills his opponents?” Zelensky said, answering a question about the possibility of finding a negotiated solution to the war.