Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Kremlin claims, a Russian victory is inevitable, but the situation on the battlefield tells af different story.
In a wide-ranging interview with Le Monde, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says Russian forces are sustaining mounting casualties as fighting continues with little territorial change.
He argues that the battlefield stalemate signals a broader failure for Moscow, challenging the Kremlin’s claims that a Russian victory is inevitable.
Mounting losses
In the interview with Le Monde, Zelenskyy said Russian troops are losing between 30,000 and 35,000 soldiers each month. He added that the casualty ratio now stands at roughly one Ukrainian soldier for every eight Russians in the areas experiencing the fiercest fighting.
Across the battlefield, the ratio is approximately six Russian casualties for every one Ukrainian.
He noted that this marks a shift from earlier in the war, when losses were closer to one Ukrainian for every three Russian troops. According to him, the imbalance widened through late 2025 and early 2026.
Target of 50,000 per month
In December alone, Ukraine claimed to have killed 35,000 Russian soldiers. All of these kills were verified by video, according to Ukrainian authorities.
However, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was appointed at the beginning of 2026, says Ukraine must do even more damage to Russian forces.
When meeting the press in January 2026, he stated that Ukraine has a strategic goal of eliminating 50,000 Russian soldiers per month, Militarnyi reported at the time.
Narrative battle
In the interview with Le Monde, Zelenskyy argued that many international discussions assume Russia is advancing while Ukraine is retreating. He said Moscow has often managed to promote this perception abroad.
He stated that “unfortunately, Moscow has been very successful, very often, unfortunately, in selling that narrative to the United States.”
According to the president, the lack of Russian breakthroughs on the front line should instead be viewed as a sign of failure.
Mobilization fears
Zelenskyy also addressed the possibility of a large-scale Russian mobilization, saying it remains uncertain whether the Kremlin would take that step.
He said Russia has so far relied on financial incentives to recruit fighters rather than imposing broader conscription.
The president warned that easing sanctions would directly affect the war, adding that funding translates into manpower and equipment, particularly drones.
Sources: Le Monde, Militarnyi
