Zelenskyy seeks 50,000 Russian ‘losses’ a month to win the Ukraine war

Al JazeeraCenterEN 5 min read 100% complete by John T PsaropoulosJanuary 30, 2026 at 09:05 AM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has tasked his military with inflicting 50,000 Russian casualties per month to weaken Moscow's forces and potentially shift the war's trajectory. Zelenskyy stated that this level of losses would exceed Russia's reinforcement capabilities. He cited video analysis indicating 35,000 Russian losses in December 2025, including killed and badly wounded soldiers. While Ukraine claims to have inflicted 1.2 million casualties since the 2022 invasion, estimates vary, and Al Jazeera cannot independently verify these figures. The conflict remains largely stalemated, with Russia holding approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory after initial gains and subsequent Ukrainian counter-offensives.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Center for Strategic and International Studies 40% Oleksandr Syrskii 60% Ukraine ×470% Volodymyr Zelenskyy ×380% Russia ×380%

Keywords

ukraine war 100% russian losses 90% volodymyr zelenskyy 80% military casualties 70% drone warfare 60% reinforcements 50% oleksandr syrskii 50% stalemated war 40%