O 9000 Ukrainian soldiers Russia’s invasion has died in six months, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Valery ZaluznyThis is reported by the Interfax agency.

Speaking at an event in Kyiv dedicated to war veterans and the families of soldiers who died in the war, Zaluzny said that children need protection in many parts of the country, including in Kyiv.

“They really don’t understand anything about what is happening, and they definitely need protection … because their fathers went to the front and are probably among the nearly 9 thousand dead heroes,” he said.

This is one of the rare ads. Ukrainian officials on the topic of Kyiv’s military losses in this war, launched by Moscow on February 24.

The previous estimate was mid-April, when President Vladimir Zelensky he said it before 3000 Ukrainians soldiers were killed and approx. 10,000 injured after the start of the Russian offensive.

Zaluzny did not specify or say whether the number he indicated included all military personnel who died in battle, such as border guards.

President Zelensky said at the event that ca. one million people defend Ukraine as part of the armed forces or other services.

Zaluzny did not say how many civilians were killed or how many members of the Russian armed forces Kyiv estimates were killed in the fighting, but the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said 45,000 Russian soldiers were killed. Russia did not say how many of its soldiers were killed.

Reuters notes that it cannot confirm losses on either side.