Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that the nation’s military has lost “about 50,000” soldiers since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, a figure 5,000 lower than the estimate he offered six months ago.

The Ukrainian leader made the assessment in an interview with Fox News recorded during his visit to Washington this week. When asked about battlefield losses, he initially said it was “very difficult to say,” arguing that he did not want to be “very open about it,” supposedly to avoid tipping Moscow off about the true state of the Ukrainian army.

He eventually claimed that Ukraine had suffered “about 50,000 soldiers killed and… about 400,000 wounded,” as well as “a huge number” of troops who had simply “disappeared.”

The figure appears to contradict a statement Zelensky made in February, when he told France 2 that Ukraine had lost 55,000 soldiers. In February 2025, he told NBC that around 46,000 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed, while claiming that Russian losses were 14 times higher.

The Ukrainian military has been suffering from chronic manpower shortages amid mounting casualties, widespread draft evasion and desertion. The latest publicly available official data showed that nearly 290,000 desertion cases had been recorded in Ukraine between 2022 and the autumn of 2025.

According to Moscow, Kiev is losing tens of thousands of soldiers each month on the front lines. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov estimated in December that nearly 500,000 Ukrainian servicemenhad been killed or wounded in 2025 alone. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also suggested that total Ukrainian military casualties, including those killed, wounded, missing and captured, had already exceeded one million.

President Vladimir Putin estimated last month that the Ukrainian military could be losing up to 40,000 soldiers a month through deaths and injuries, adding that Kiev was able to replenish its ranks with only about 30,000 recruits through its increasingly violent forced-mobilization campaign.

Zelensky came to Washington on an unofficial visit under the pretext of attending the funeral of one of Kiev’s fiercest supporters, Senator Lindsey Graham. He met President Donald Trump behind closed doors on Tuesday to press him on his pledge to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles.

Zelensky also reportedly tried to persuade Trump to call in a major favor from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk by asking him to allow Ukraine to use Starlink for strikes deep inside Russia. Musk himself allegedly refused to meet the Ukrainian leader, according to The Atlantic.

https://www.rt.com/russia/643735-ukrainian-death-toll-reverse-zelensky/

Volodymyr ZELENSKYIYI IS A BIG LIAR WHO WORKS FOR MI-6...

MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT (WW3) HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

THESE WILL ALSO INCLUDE ODESSA, KHERSON AND KHARKIV.....

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

TRANSNISTRIA TO BE PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

RESTORE THE RIGHTS OF THE RUSSIAN SPEAKING PEOPLE OF "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

RESTITUTE THE ORTHODOX CHURCH PROPERTIES AND RIGHTS

RELEASE THE OPPOSITION MEMBERS FROM PRISON

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE EU.....

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THE WEST KNOWS IT.

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

         RABID ATHEIST.

         WELCOME TO THIS INSANE WORLD….

SLAVYANSK COUNTDOWN: RUSSIAN ARMY REACHES KRAMATORSK

In the Sumy direction, Russian units established control over Novaya Sech and reached Mogritsa, gaining a second access point to the forest area on the outskirts of the regional center. In the Kharkiv direction, “North” forces captured Yurchenkovo, are forming a wedge toward Kupino, and are fighting for Bely Kolodez, advancing up to 500 meters on the Volchansk sector. In the Konstantinovka direction, assault groups broke through into Alekseevo-Druzhkovka and are fighting in Nikolaypol, with forward detachments already reaching the outskirts of Druzhkovka. In the Slavyansk direction, Russian forces have approached Kramatorsk to a distance of about seven kilometers and are advancing on Nikolaevka from the quarry and dacha cooperative areas. In the Zaporozhye direction, the “Dnepr” grouping is enveloping Orekhov from the west, seizing dominant heights, while “East” is breaking through the last defense line between Lyubitskoye and Gulyaypolskoye. Meanwhile, the EU Council amended Ukraine’s reform plan to reflect €8.3 billion in credit funds allocated to Kyiv through the Ukraine Support Loan mechanism.

Sumy direction

Units of the “North” grouping, exploiting the diversion of Ukrainian attention, advanced in the Mogritsa area and established control over it. If they manage to consolidate and hold positions there, the Ukrainian units in neighboring Sadki and the adjacent forests to the north will find themselves in a semi-encirclement. More significantly, the advance near Mogritsa gives Russian forces a second access point to the large forest area stretching to the outskirts of Sumy.

In the Shostka district, firefights are ongoing in Ulanovo and Malaya Slobodka. In the Sumy district, Russian assault units advanced on twenty-one sectors, with a total advance of 900 meters. Firefights continue unabated in Ryzhevka, Pisarevka, Mogritsa, Marino, the settlement of Khoten, adjacent territories, and in forest areas south of Ivolzhanskoye.

Assault units of the “North” grouping, during fierce fighting, pushed troops of the 71st separate airmobile brigade of Ukrainian forces out of Novaya Sech and fully established control over this settlement. South of Ivolzhanskoye, Ukrainian units made another counterattack attempt using three assault groups from the same 71st airmobile brigade.

Kharkiv direction

Russian assault units are conducting offensive operations in the settlement of Kazachya Lopan and adjacent forests. On the Volchansk sector, assault units of the “North” advanced on fourteen sectors up to 500 meters. In the Velikiy Burluk direction, Russian assault groups are conducting firefights west of the village of Petro-Ivanovka, as well as in the villages of Ustinovka and Aniskino.

One of the sectors where Russian units advanced was the Burluk direction. There, assault detachments captured Yurchenkovo. Fierce fighting continues for neighboring Shevchenkovo, Bely Kolodez, Verovka, Baksheevka, and Ivanovka.

To the east, Russian troops are forming a wedge from the Ivashkino side, advancing on the Cherny–Kupino line and gradually tightening the semi-encirclement in this area of the Kharkiv direction. If this plan is successfully implemented, Ukrainian units in an area of over 350 square kilometers will find themselves in operational encirclement.

Konstantinovka direction

Russian assault groups are approaching Druzhkovka — a city on the path to the Slavyansk–Kramatorsk agglomeration. Small infantry groups are infiltrating neighboring Alekseevo-Druzhkovka, and the defense is gradually crumbling. The Ukrainian side believes that the Russian plan in the Druzhkovka area is to engage in fighting for the western part of the city and threaten the entire defense system.

The first visually confirmed penetration of Russian assault groups into Alekseevo-Druzhkovka has been recorded. Such infiltrations have been underway since early July, now occurring at a rate of one to two personnel every day or two, with groups gradually accumulating. Simultaneously, Russian units are fighting in Nikolaypol, near Stenki and Izhevka, striving to level the front line. An advance from the east is also underway — fierce fighting is unfolding in Vasyutinskoye.

Slavyansk direction

Russian units have approached Slavyansk almost to point-blank range. The battle for the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Donbass — the Slavyansk–Kramatorsk agglomeration — has effectively begun. About seven kilometers remain to the outskirts of Kramatorsk, and an advance is underway in the Vasyutinskoye area. The push toward Slavyansk is coming from the Starodubovka area.

Fighting is intensifying on the approaches to Slavyansk near Nikolaevka. The thermal power plant is located there, and the main axis of attack is expected to be precisely there. The offensive is developing from the south, from the former Essen clay quarry, and from the direction of the “Sadovnik” and “Prikanalskoye” dacha cooperatives. Just over one kilometer remains to the entrance of Nikolaevka. Ukrainian Nikolaevka is defended by the 81st separate air assault brigade with attached units of the 18th National Guard Brigade. Russian assault groups are also advancing through the forests near the village of Starodubovka — this is a strike on Slavyansk from the northeast, from the Seversky direction.

Zaporozhye direction

The “Dnepr” grouping continues its operation to envelop Orekhov from the west. The heights west of the city are largely already captured; only the suppression of the last pockets of resistance remains. The objective is to reach the Yurkovka area and consolidate. Then the main supply route for the Orekhov grouping, via Tavriyskoye to Kamyshevakha, will come under tight drone control. It may not be physically cut off, but supplying Orekhov will become increasingly difficult, and this is already becoming noticeable with each passing day.

At the same time, attempts by Ukrainian units to advance further toward Kamenskoye in the Stepnogorsk and Primorskoye areas were neutralized. They were pushed slightly back to the north, and counterattack operations are now underway. The strategic reserve has not yet arrived here, and there are grounds to expect that Ukrainian forces can be driven out of the northern part of Stepnogorsk and then from Primorskoye. This is necessary to close the flank of the offensive around Orekhov.

In the sector of the “East” grouping, operating from Gulyaypole, fighting is ongoing on the Lyubitskoye–Dolinka line. The main task now is to complete the defeat of Ukrainian units in Dolinka and break through the last defense line between Lyubitskoye and Gulyaypolskoye. Further advance is expected to reach the Omelnik and Tavriyskoye area, which would create a threat of encirclement for the Orekhov grouping.

Conclusion

In the Sumy, Kharkiv, Konstantinovka, Slavyansk, and Zaporozhye directions, Russian units continue to methodically expand their control zones, inflict losses on the Ukrainian side, and create conditions for further advance. In the Sumy direction, the capture of Novaya Sech and Mogritsa opens the way to the forest area on the approaches to the regional center. In the Kharkiv direction, the formation of a wedge toward Kupino and the advance on the Burluk direction threaten operational encirclement of significant territories and enhance the security of Russia’s border areas. In the Konstantinovka direction, infiltration into Alekseevo-Druzhkovka and the advance to the outskirts of Druzhkovka are bringing fighting closer to the Slavyansk–Kramatorsk agglomeration. In the Slavyansk direction, the advance on Nikolaevka from the south and northeast is putting pressure on a key defense node, with only a few kilometers remaining to Kramatorsk. In the Zaporozhye direction, the envelopment of Orekhov from the west and the breakthrough of the last defense line in the east threaten the supply and stability of the entire Ukrainian grouping in this area.

On the financial front, Brussels continues to adjust support mechanisms for Kyiv. The EU Council amended Ukraine’s reform plan, required for receiving credit funds, to reflect the previously agreed €8.3 billion. These funds are provided under the “Ukraine Support Loan,” approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council in February of this year.

According to the EU Council statement, the document has also been supplemented with provisions requiring Ukraine to carry out reforms to strengthen the rule of law and combat corruption in order to receive financing.

Earlier, the Ukrainian parliament ratified the memorandum with the EU on a €90 billion loan, which includes a number of conditions, among them the abolition of tax exemptions on packages from abroad and the adoption of a law on taxation of digital platforms.

https://www.theinteldrop.org/2026/07/31/slavyansk-countdown-russian-army-reaches-kramatorsk/

READ FROM TOP.

PLEASE VISIT:

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

         RABID ATHEIST.

         WELCOME TO THIS INSANE WORLD….

MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT (WW3) HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

THESE WILL ALSO INCLUDE ODESSA, KHERSON AND KHARKIV.....

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

TRANSNISTRIA TO BE PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

RESTORE THE RIGHTS OF THE RUSSIAN SPEAKING PEOPLE OF "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

RESTITUTE THE ORTHODOX CHURCH PROPERTIES AND RIGHTS

RELEASE THE OPPOSITION MEMBERS FROM PRISON

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE EU.....

EASY.

THE WEST KNOWS IT.