Zelensky at UN: Russia pays 248 lives per square kilometer of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, September 23, that Russia lost 248,964 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in Ukraine from January to August, more than the population of 21 countries. Zelensky stated that despite these losses, Russia captured only slightly over 1,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory this year, much of which Kyiv has already recaptured. He calculated Putin is paying 248 lives for each square kilometer gained. Zelensky previously said on September 16 that total Russian deaths over five years of full-scale war would approach one million by year's end. Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported July saw a record 42,860 Russian casualties.