Zelensky warns Putin pays 248 lives per captured kilometre at UN
In his UN General Assembly speech, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces have lost over 248,000 troops in eight months while gaining just about 1,000 km² of Ukrainian land.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, President Volodymyr Zelensky cited a Donald Trump social-media comment demanding an end to the war and pointed out that no world leader openly supports Russia’s invasion. He reported that Russian armed forces have suffered more than 248,000 deaths or serious injuries in the first eight months of the year, a figure that exceeds the populations of 21 countries. Despite these losses, Russia has managed to occupy just over 1,000 km² of Ukrainian land, which Zelensky calculated as 248 casualties per captured kilometre.
He reminded the audience that Putin has promised the Donbas’s capture for the 17th or 18th time in five years, each time pushing the deadline further. Zelensky called on all nations to use every tool at their disposal to force an immediate, unconditional cease-fire and to start substantive peace negotiations. More than 50 UN member states have already issued a joint statement demanding the same.
Why it matters
Zelensky’s UN appeal underscores the human cost of the conflict and pressures the international community to act for a cease-fire.
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