(MENAFN) According to a report by The Washington Post, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been accused of deliberately misleading the public regarding the true extent of military casualties in Ukraine's conflict with Russia. The article, published on Saturday and based on insider sources, suggests that Zelensky may have downplayed the scale of casualties to prevent panic amid challenges in mobilizing troops.
After maintaining silence on Ukrainian casualties for several months, Zelensky made a significant announcement in February, stating that 31,000 troops had been killed in the two-year conflict. However, he did not disclose the number of wounded soldiers. This revelation came amidst contrasting claims from Russia, with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu estimating Ukraine's losses at nearly half a million troops.
The report quotes an unnamed Ukrainian lawmaker who alleges that Zelensky "vastly downplayed the war's true toll" to avoid disrupting recruitment and mobilization efforts. This assertion suggests a deliberate effort to present lower casualty figures than the reality.
In response to mounting pressures and challenges in mobilizing troops, the Ukrainian government initiated legislative measures aimed at boosting mobilization. After extensive parliamentary debates, Zelensky signed two bills earlier this month, one of which reduces the conscription age for men from 27 to 25, while the other imposes stricter mobilization rules.
However, tensions between Zelensky and former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny escalated in late December when Zelensky claimed that the Ukrainian military had requested the mobilization of an additional 500,000 troops. This assertion was later denied by Zaluzhny and contributed to the conflict between the two leaders, ultimately resulting in Zaluzhny's dismissal in February.
MENAFN29042024000045015687ID1108150502
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.