Monday Briefing
A woman visiting the grave of her husband, a Ukrainian soldier killed in the war.Credit…Lynsey Addario for The New York Times
31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed so far, Zelensky said
Some 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began two years ago, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said. It is the first time he has announced a concrete figure for Ukraine’s toll.
Zelensky declined to disclose the number of wounded or missing soldiers, saying that Russia could gauge the size of Ukraine’s active forces with that information. His tally could not be independently verified.
Last summer U.S. officials estimated far higher losses, saying that close to 70,000 Ukrainians had been killed and 100,000 to 120,000 had been wounded. Russia’s military casualties, the officials said, were about twice as high.
Zelensky’s acknowledgment comes as Ukraine is running short of soldiers and ammunition. A week ago, Moscow captured the city of Avdiivka.
Hope: A majority of Ukrainians remain optimistic despite their country’s seemingly dire circumstances, according to independent polls.
Intel: The U.S. and Ukraine have a longstanding intelligence partnership that has resulted in collaborations like a C.I.A.-supported network of spy bases that includes 12 secret locations along the Russian border.
