Trump claims 5,000 Russian, Ukrainian soldiers killed each week. Here’s what the numbers say

Trump's Claim

The article analyzes U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that 5,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers die each week in the war. It notes that this figure is far higher than other available estimates and lacks supporting evidence.

Casualty Estimates

Experts use open-source data and intelligence estimates to assess the death toll. Russian losses are consistently higher than Ukrainian ones. Various sources provide differing numbers but all confirm a significantly lower average weekly death toll compared to Trump's assertion.

• BBC Russia and Mediazona report over 100,000 identified Russian soldier deaths, estimating the actual number between 158,885 and 229,500.
• Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff reports combined Ukrainian and Russian casualties totaling 951,960 (as of April 30) without a death toll breakdown.
• President Zelensky stated over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since February 2022. Other unofficial estimates put the figure higher.
• The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have cited sources mentioning around 80,000 and 70,000 Ukrainian troop deaths respectively, figures that Kyiv has contested.

While the exact numbers remain uncertain, Russia's losses are significantly higher than Ukraine's, despite maintaining a larger military and population.

Weekly Death Toll

The article emphasizes that the average weekly combined death toll for both sides, even using higher end estimates, is far below Trump's 5,000 figure, at less than 2,000. Weekly tolls fluctuate depending on the intensity of fighting. Some periods saw significantly higher losses (e.g., the Battle of Bakhmut).