Fake News from Russian Propaganda: Busting the Lies About Ukrainian Military Losses
Recent statements by Russian propagandists have once again been exposed as classic disinformation aimed at decreasing the morale of Ukrainian troops and discrediting Ukraine’s military on the international stage.
This time, we are talking about the widely circulated false claim of 1.7 million Ukrainian soldiers killed or missing.
A malicious cyberattack by the KillNet group prompted the spread of these fabricated figures, which lack any factual basis.
The Center for Countering Disinformation refutes these claims as baseless fabrications, emphasizing that such numbers are physically impossible and do not match official statistics.
According to the Center, as of early 2025, the Ukrainian armed forces numbered approximately 880,000 personnel, a figure that sharply contrasts with the millions claimed by enemy propaganda.
Despite the losses, which, according to the General Staff, amount to about one million casualties (killed and wounded on both sides), Ukraine continues to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The goal of this disinformation campaign is to undermine Ukrainian morale and convince the international community of Ukraine’s supposed exhaustion and ineffectiveness — a classic strategy of Russia’s information warfare.
It is crucial to remember that Ukrainian security and defense forces are putting their maximum effort into resisting enemy attempts to discredit their effectiveness and spread disarray amid ongoing battles for independence.
According to volunteers and military experts, daily casualties in the Ukrainian armed forces reach hundreds of killed and thousands of wounded, reflecting the scale of the ongoing war.
Honest assessment and transparency are vital to maintaining morale and garnering continued international support during these challenging times.