Ukraine Quotes MLK In Announcing 870 Russian Soldiers Killed In One Day

The Ukrainian military quoted Martin Luther King Jr. as it reported 870 new Russian army casualties in the Ukraine war.

"Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals," the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MOD) captioned a Tuesday update on Russia's military casualties in the war.

King, who would have turned 93 Sunday were he still alive, delivered the lines during a speech at New York University on Feb. 10, 1961, according to the institution.

The MOD's report, which cited data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, claimed that Russia lost 116,950 military personnel between the start of its invasion in February last year and Tuesday.

A report from the previous day put the figure at 116,080.

Russian losses also included 3,118 tanks, 6,204 armored fighting vehicles and 2,099 artillery systems, among other pieces of military equipment, according to the updated data.

The MOD has quoted other personalities in the past, including artists like Bob Marley, Jay-Z, Metallica, Our Last Night and Radiohead.

The ministry has also used lines that were delivered by popular characters from film and television in its previous posts.

It quoted the wizard Gandalf from Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, Kevin McCallister from the "Home Alone" series, Skinny Pete from the 2003 crime drama "The Italian Job," and Prince Akeem Joffer from 1988's "Coming to America."

"If there's one thing I know, it's never to mess with mother nature, mother-in-laws and mother freaking Ukrainians," the MOD wrote in its Nov. 11, 2022, casualty report as it quoted Skinny Pete, who was played by hip hop artist and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. member Vincent Devoux, also known as Gawtti.

Ukraine's MOD quoted comedian Dave Chappelle in the past as well.

"The Ukrainians are way better fighters than we thought they'd been. I mean, these guys. They killed 10,000 Russians the first week of the war... This was before we were sending them weapons," the MOD wrote in another November 2022 post.

Chappelle made the remarks as part of an opening monologue on an episode of "Saturday Night Live" that aired earlier that month.

At the time, the United States had provided Ukraine with artillery pieces such as the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), munitions, drones and anti-tank systems, among others pieces of equipment.

The U.S. has since provided more military aid to Ukraine, with a recently pledged package that includes around 50 M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles valued at roughly $2.8 billion.