Ukraine Death Toll 'Critically Smaller' Than Russia, Less Than Turkey Earthquake Deaths

Ukraine's defense chief claimed that the Ukrainian losses against Russia remain low, more than a year since Russia began its invasion.

In his interview with the Spanish daily newspaper La Razón, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said the number of Ukrainian casualties is lower than the number of people who died in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that shook Turkey last February.

"Of course, we have losses, because we are at war. But they are critically smaller than the Russian losses," Reznikov said.

"I cannot give a figure, but I can assure you that the total number is less than the death toll from the earthquake in Turkey," the Ukrainian defense minister added.

Reznikov argued that Ukraine's main objective is to "save the lives of our soldiers" while adding that Russia uses a "meat-grinder tactic" by sending more soldiers onto the battlefield.

Reznikov said Russia is losing 500 of its military personnel daily in the fierce fighting in the heavily-contested Ukrainian town of Bakhmut.

The death toll in Turkey's Feb. 6 powerful earthquake has risen to 50,500, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Turkish Minute reported.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to suffer more combat losses against Ukraine after 980 Russian troops were killed, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The latest figures brought Russian forces' death toll to 182,070 since the war began in February last year.

In September, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that only 5,937 Russian soldiers had died in Ukraine. Since then, no official figures have been released by the Russian government.

On the Ukrainian side, the Ukrainian government has not updated the casualties among its military personnel since December.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a television interview last year that the official estimates of Ukrainian casualties range from "10,000 to 12,500-13,000," Ukrinform reported.

However, recently leaked U.S. classified documents suggest different numbers of casualties in two warring countries.

According to the leaked assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency, Russia allegedly suffered 189,500 to 223,000 total casualties, including 35,500 to 43,000 killed on the battlefield and 154,000 to 180,000 wounded.

Ukraine reportedly suffered 124,500 to 131,000 total casualties, including 15,500 to 17,500 killed in action and 109,000 to 113,500 injured, according to Reuters.

The International Business Times could not independently verify the figures the Ukrainian and Russian governments provided and from leaked classified documents.

Civilian casualties also continue to pile up, based on the latest update by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights.

On April 10, the U.N. recorded 22,734 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 8,490 deaths and 14,244 injuries.

The highest civilian casualties were recorded in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, currently occupied by Russian forces.

Explosive weapons, including artillery, tanks, rockets, missiles, and air strikes, remain the top culprit of civilian casualties, killing at least 7,011 people and injuring 13,495 others.