Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine regained more territory than it lost to Russian forces during October, claiming that Ukrainian troops recaptured 96.2 square kilometers of land.
According to Zelensky, this was 10.4 square kilometers more than the territory Russian forces captured during the same period.
“Russia is losing. We are holding our positions, liberating territories and ensuring that every day of this war costs the aggressor as much as possible,” Zelensky said on Sunday, according to media reports.
He called on Russian authorities to end the war through a ceasefire and diplomatic negotiations.
“To put an end to these senseless losses, Russia simply needs to choose a ceasefire and diplomacy,” the Ukrainian president said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said October was the deadliest month for Russian forces since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
According to figures released by Kyiv, Russian forces suffered approximately 54,400 casualties during October, including troops killed and wounded. The Ukrainian military described this as the highest monthly figure it has reported since the start of the war.
Ukraine’s military also claimed that Russian forces are losing personnel faster than Moscow can recruit new soldiers to replace them.
“Every month of war is becoming increasingly costly for Russia’s armed forces,” the Ukrainian military said.
However, neither Ukraine nor Russia regularly publishes comprehensive official figures on its military losses, and the casualty estimates released by the warring parties cannot be independently verified.
Kyiv claims that Russia has suffered more than 1.5 million military casualties, including killed and wounded personnel, since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Before October, the highest monthly casualty figure reported by Ukraine was for December 2024, when Kyiv said 48,670 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded.
October also set a record for Ukraine’s use of drones, according to Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.
Brovdi said Russian targets were neutralized by Ukrainian drone units at an average rate of one every 41 seconds during the month. He also claimed that a Russian soldier was killed every 159 seconds.
According to Brovdi, drone units under his command killed 16,796 Russian soldiers in October, approximately 25 percent more than in September.
The figures and battlefield assessments remain claims made by Ukrainian officials and have not been independently verified.
