Russia Could Lose Another 300,000 Troops by the End of the Year, Says Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that by the end of 2026, the Russian army could lose another 300,000 troops.
According to him, if these losses are fatalities, the total number of Russians killed over the five years of the war against Ukraine could approach one million.
“We believe that they (the Russians—ed.) will lose 300,000 this year. We’re talking about fatalities. This would mean that they will have one million fatalities over five years of war. Once again—one million fatalities,” the president noted.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin is continuing the war because he does not feel sufficient pressure from Russian society.
“But he will feel it; it (this pressure—ed.) has already begun,” Zelenskyy added.
The President of Ukraine also cited, in his words, fear for his own life as one of the main reasons why the Kremlin leader is not stopping the war.
“He can’t stop because he thinks that if they stop now, it won’t be seen as a victory. The current situation is the opposite of a victory for them. Therefore, if they stop now, he fears that the soldiers will return home angry and turn against him. He’s already had a precedent with the ‘Wagner Group’ members.’ But back then, it was about 5,000 people. If a million return, though, it will be a huge deal,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin does not want peace, but he understands the need to find a way to end the war so that it can be presented to Russian society as a “victory.”
“He believes that his minimum goal is the complete occupation of Donetsk Oblast, and he’s selling that to his people,” Zelenskyy noted.
The President of Ukraine added that the Russian side is constantly postponing the timeline for achieving this goal.
At the same time, the casualty estimates cited by Volodymyr Zelenskyy represent his assessment of the projected number of Russian military fatalities. Independent casualty estimates may differ.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy made these remarks in an interview with the American television network CBS News.
Over the past 24 hours, units of the Unmanned Systems Forces struck or destroyed 1,393 enemy targets. Among them were three Russian naval vessels and 44 drone launch sites.
Over the past 24 hours, 278 combat engagements were recorded on the front lines. Russian troops carried out the most assaults in the Pokrovsk direction—Ukrainian defenders repelled 43 enemy attacks.
As of September 16, 2026, the Ukrainian military had eliminated 1,530 Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours. The Russian Federation’s total military losses increased by another 1,530 soldiers.
Since the start of the day on September 15, there have been 219 combat engagements on the front lines. Russian troops launched the most attacks in the Pokrovsk direction, where Ukrainian forces repelled 38 assaults.
