Zelensky reveals 31,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed since Putin invaded two years ago - as he warns the West that victory against Russia 'depends on you'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tonight revealed that 31,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed in the two years since Russia invaded his nation, and called on the West to continue providing military support. 

In a rare admission of military losses, he said: 'Not 300,000 or 150,000, or whatever Putin and his lying circle are saying. But each of these losses is a great loss for us.'

Both sides are believed to minimise deaths of their own troops, and exaggerate the deaths of the other side's troops. In December, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said 383,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed or injured.

A declassified US intelligence reported shared with Congress claimed that 315,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or injured as of December 2023 - nearly 90% of the 360,000 soldiers in Putin's army before the invasion. 

In May last year, a Telegram affiliated with the Wagner Group, a private military company that provided military support to Russia's invading forces, claimed that 22,000 mercenaries had been killed alongside Russian troops. 

Ukraine, meanwhile, was understood to have lost 30,000 troops by November 2023, according to analysis of open sources by a civic group. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) tonight revealed that 31,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed in the two years since Russia invaded his nation

Zelensky also called on Western allies to provide more military aid to Ukraine, saying that victory against Russia depends 'on the Western world'

Zelensky also called on Western allies to provide more military aid to Ukraine, saying that victory against Russia depends 'on the Western world.' 

'Whether Ukraine will lose, whether it will be very difficult for us and whether there will be a large number of casualties depends on you, on our partners, on the Western world.'

He added that he was 'sure' the US would approve a critical package of military aid, telling the press conference in Kyiv: 'There is hope for Congress, and I am sure that it is going to be positive, otherwise I do not understand the world we will start to live in.'

The aid package, worth $61 billion, has been blocked amid resistance from Republicans. 

Earlier this week, it was reported that Congressional Democrats were preparing to force a vote through after Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not be pressured into passing the bill, despite it already passing through the Senate. 

Earlier this month, Ukrainian troops were forced to withdraw from the frontline town of Avdiivka

Zelensky blamed the failure on the counteroffensive on an alleged leak to Russian forces

Ukraine's planned counteroffensive resulted in little progress

Ukrainian medical volunteers of the Hospitaliers Battalion offload from their medical bus Ukrainian soldiers wounded in the critical battle for Avdiivka

Much of the hesitancy stems from the little progress Ukraine has made in the past year, as its planned counteroffensive resulted in little progress. 

Earlier this month, Ukrainian troops were forced to withdraw from the frontline town of Avdiivka, handing Russia its first territorial gain in almost a year.

Zelensky blamed the failure on the counteroffensive on an alleged leak to Russian forces, but provided no evidence to back this claim up.  

'Our counteroffensive action plans were on the Kremlin's taroble before the counteroffensive actions began,' Zelensky said, adding that his military chiefs were preparing 'several plans' for this year's battlefield strategy 'because of information leaks'. 

Asked if he would be willing to talk to Putin, Zelensky said:

'Can you talk to a deaf person? Can you talk to a man who kills his opponents?'

Putin's main opponent Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison this month.

'He sees himself (in power) by 2030, we would like to finish with him sooner,' Zelensky added, mocking an upcoming presidential election in Russia that is likely to extend Putin's long rule until 2030.