The tribute given by General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi appeared to be the first given by Ukraine’s top military group since the February 24 Russian invasion. Zaluzny, the Supreme Commander of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, told a conference held to honor military veterans and families of the dead that children needed protection in many parts of the country, including the capital Kyiv. “They really don’t understand anything that’s going on and they absolutely need protection … because their father has gone to the front and is probably among the almost 9,000 heroes who have been killed,” he said. Zaluzny did not elaborate and did not say whether the number he cited included all service personnel killed in the battle, such as border guards. President Volodymr Zelenkskiy told the conference that about 1 million people are defending Ukraine as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces or other services. Zaluzny did not say how many civilians were killed or how many Russians in Kyiv were estimated to have died in the fighting, but the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces put the Russian military death toll at 45,400. Russia has not said how many of its soldiers have been killed. Reuters was unable to verify casualties suffered by either side during a “special military operation” to demilitarize Russia’s smaller neighbor and protect Russian-speaking communities. Ukraine and its Western backers accuse Moscow of waging an imperialist-style war of conquest. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets Editing by Timothy Heritage and Catherine Evans)
