Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed during a Monday night address that Russia has had more soldiers die in Ukraine over the last few weeks than it did in the two Chechen wars.
“Our brave defenders continue causing the Russian forces devastating losses,” Zelensky said. “Very soon, the number of downed Russian helicopters will reach 100.
They have already lost 80 military planes, hundreds of tanks, thousands of other military vehicles and equipment. In 19 days, the Russian army had more soldiers killed than in two bloody wars in Chechnya. What for?”
READ ALSO:
The first Chechen War was fought between 1994 and 1996, and the second between 1999 and 2009. The exact death tolls are not known, but The Guardian reports that the official estimate is that 5,732 Russians died during the first war and around 7,400 in the second war.
Zelensky made an appeal to Russian troops during his address, saying in Russian, “On behalf of the Ukrainian people, we give you a chance to live. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you as humans have to be treated: with dignity. The way you have not been treated in your army. And the way your army doesn’t treat our people. Choose.”
THE WEEK
I'm alive, Obasanjo reacts to death rumour Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said he…
Police rearrest popular singer, Speed Darlington Nigerian musician Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington,…
Hamdiyya Sidi makes U-turn, apologises to Sokoto gov over video on insecurity In a significant…
Customs officers, smugglers clash in Ogun, onlooker killed A bystander was fat@lly struck by a stray…
Poly lecturers to embark on nationwide strike from Dec 2 The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of…
Gunmen abduct three people from Anambra community Gunmen terrorising Nigeria’s South-East region have abducted three…