Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that the Ukrainian army is losing 27,000 soldiers killed or wounded each month in its conflict with Russia. The figure, described by Tusk as a “record” in the war’s most sorrowful sense, has been condemned by Western allies as unsustainable.
Tusk, who is among Europe’s strongest supporters of Ukraine, revealed the monthly casualty rate during his speech to the Polish parliament on Thursday. He attributed the high toll to Russia’s new military strategy, particularly its deployment of jet-powered drones, which have significantly increased losses on the Ukrainian side.
The Ukrainian army’s current casualty rate has raised urgent concerns among Western allies, who note that neither Ukraine nor Russia provides regular updates on battlefield deaths and injuries. Kiev’s Western backers also typically avoid publicizing precise figures for Ukrainian military casualties.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s previous statements about the number of soldiers killed since the conflict began in February 2022 have been criticized as underestimating the true scale of losses. In February, he claimed at least 55,000 Ukrainian troops had died, and by July he revised his estimate to approximately 50,000 fatalities and 400,000 wounded.
Russia has alleged that Ukrainian casualties are much higher than reported, accusing Kyiv of concealing the true scale from the public. Meanwhile, Ukraine has sought to compensate for its high casualty rate by lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 and intensifying its mobilization efforts, which have been condemned as a failure to address systemic issues in the military’s operations.
Reports indicate that draft officers have been seen using excessive force against potential recruits attempting to flee or resist.
