Ukraine not losing war against Russia, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is not losing the war against Russia, arguing that preserving the country's independence constitutes victory despite the heavy losses suffered by both sides.

In an interview with Fox News, Zelenskyy claimed Russia has lost 1.6 million troops since the start of the war, including 700,000 killed, Caliber.Az reports.

He noted that Ukraine, meanwhile, has lost 50,000 soldiers killed in combat, with 400,000 wounded, while a large number of troops remain missing in action.

"We are not losing, and they are not winning. Between us, winning is not to lose our country and our independence. From this side, we are winning," the Ukrainian leader added.

At the same time, Zelenskyy acknowledged the realities on the battlefield, saying the key factor is that Russia has not seized the initiative.

Commenting separately on the US-Iran conflict in the Middle East, Zelenskyy made it clear that Russia has an interest in prolonging the fighting.

He marked that as long as the United States is involved, it cannot help Ukraine as it did before.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov