Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky has made public for the first time that over 31,000 soldiers defending Ukraine have been killed since Russia military under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin invaded the country since February 24, 2022.

Zelensky made this known on Sunday in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital while answering questions from journalists at a press conference organised as part of activities to mark the second year of the ongoing Russia war in Ukraine.

“I don’t know if I have a right to tell you the numbers of our losses. Every single person is a tragedy. 31,000 [members] of Ukraine’s military were killed during this war”, Zelensky said at the press conference, marking the first time he has provided an official estimate of Ukraine’s losses since the war began two years ago.

Also at the Press Conference, Zelensky said President Vladimir Putin of Russia does not have a mobile when he was asked If Putin should call him at night, whether he would pick up the phone. “How will he call me? He doesn’t have a mobile phone, and I don’t have a telegraph from 1917”, Zelensky stated in quote with Ukrainian language as transcribed and translated by news media.

Key points President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at the press conference included that “Ukraine will not lose the war. The hardest time was on February 24th two years ago. We have no alternative.

We have been working on getting long-range weapons for a long time. And there is a positive note of the recent debates on such weapons.

The first peace summit will be held in Switzerland in the spring, and a plan will be developed to address each of the crises caused by the war. On the basis of this, a document will be prepared and handed over to Russia.

The ratio of Ukrainian forces with the Russian army is now 1 to 7. In order to push back the Russians, the ratio of forces should be 1 to 1.5.  It is strategically important not to lose people”, the key points highlighted in quotes as stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky added that Ukraine can win the war and retake territories already occupied by Russia if the country has the military tools to continue to fight Russia.

“Of course Ukraine can win. Of course, Ukraine has already succeeded, militarily, in one of the most profound objectives it had, which was to keep the country from falling into Russian hands. It has already done that. And Ukraine can go further in retaking territory that Russia has occupied, ensuring Russia fails, and ensuring Ukraine prevails.

But it can only so, if it has the tools that it needs. And that is why the United States needs to deliver the aid package that passed on a massive bipartisan vote in the Senate. The House needs to step up and pass that bill.”

Accordingly, Zelensky said he hopes a peace summit will take place in Switzerland in the spring. And Russia will be presented with a peace plan prepared by Ukraine and its partners in advance of the summit.

On Ukrainian losses, Zelensky refused to provide details on the number of wounded, saying if he does, “Russia will know how many people have left the battlefield”. He also said 180,000 Russian troops have been killed in the conflict.

In earlier meetings on the anniversary day which was Saturday, Zelensky thanked the Swedish government for its support and the enablement of possible joint production of military weapons by Ukraine and Sweden.

Zelensky sated this in Kyiv when the Swedish Minister of Defence, Paul Johnson paid him a visit.

Zelensky said in quotes; “The visit of the Minister of Defense of Sweden, Paul Johnson on this day is an important sign of Sweden’s solidarity with Ukraine.

During the meeting, we discussed the possibility of weapons joint production and future bilateral negotiations to sign the security guarantees agreement.

The 15th package announced by the Swedish government these days has become the largest in volume: almost 700 million euros. Thank you for the powerful concrete support of Ukraine!”

Also at Gostomel, Zelensky said people’s unity can achieve more results than any dictator.

“Together, we are stronger than any geopolitics. People’s unity can accomplish more than any dictator. And courage, ordinary people’s courage, can turn the pages of history that appeared to never end.

Dear friends, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, and Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. I thank you for every package of assistance that helps our soldiers fight and strengthens our state. I appreciate every sanction decision against Russia. And I thank you for every step that enables us to bring this war to a fair end.

Putin must lose in absolutely everything, just as he did here, in Hostomel. Only in this way will peace prevail”, Zelensky stated in quotes during the press conference held on Saturday at Gostomel airport.

In a self recorded video at Gostomel, Zelensky said any normal person wants the war to end but none of the people wants Ukraine to end or taken over by Russia.

“Dear great people of a great country, I am immensely proud of each of you. I admire each one of you. I believe in each one of you. Any normal person wants the war to end. But none of us will allow Ukraine to end.

That is why when it comes to ending the war, we always add: on our terms. That is why, along with the word peace, there is always another word: just. That is why, in the future, the word independent will always appear alongside the word Ukraine. This is what we fight for. And we will prevail. On the greatest day of our lives.

I thank all of our soldiers, our people, and everyone around the world who stands with us and the truth. Glory to Ukraine!”