In what can be taken as the first official assessment, Zaluznyi said Ukraine has lost 9 thousand servicemen in the war with Russia.

The number of civilians who perished in the Russian onslaught, though, still remains unknown as the aggressors burn bodies or take them to mass burial sites.

‘In this war, not only our servicemen are taking part, not only those who have taken up arms [against the aggressors], but also our little children who are innocent and can’t be blamed only for them being born right here and right at this moment. They can’t understand what is going on, but they definitely need protection- at Soledar, Bakhmut, Velykoy Novosilky, and here, as  their father went to the front and may have been among those 9 thousand heroes who fell,’ said Zaluzhnyi at ‘Forum. Roll call’.

It is worth noting that Ukrainian officials usually remain tight-lipped about the losses as the information is perceived to be sensitive and can be used by the enemy intelligence for assessment and future plans.