Zelensky says up to 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed during war with Russia

Up to 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview on Sunday, though he claimed that the losses have been heavier for the Russian side.

Co-host Jake Tapper asked Zelensky on CNN’s “State of the Union” if it is known how many civilians and soldiers had died so far.

“As of now, based on the information we have, because it is very difficult to talk about civilians, since, south of our country, where the towns and cities are blocked, Kherson, Berdyansk, Mariupol, further east, the area to the east, where Volnovakha is, et cetera, we just don’t know how many people have died in that area,” Zelensky told Tapper through a translator.

“As to our military, out of the numbers we have, we think that we lost 2,500 to 3,000, in comparison with the Russian military, who lost about 19,000 to 20,000,” Zelensky said. “That’s the comparison. But we have about 10,000 injured, and it’s hard to say how many will survive.”

Tapper also asked Zelensky if he would like the roughly 4 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled the country to return.

“Not now. I think not now,” the Ukrainian leader said. “First of all, it’s about women and children. They should come when the situation will be stabilized and when the war will finish, of course, because they will not help us now.”

“Men should be here and should fight, and then the families will come back, of course, because I know the statistics. About 93, 95 percent of those people who are out of the way because of the war, they want to come back, really,” he added.