One-fifth of Ukrainian territory is under Russia’s control, with Donbas “almost entirely destroyed”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed while addressing Luxembourg’s lawmakers on Thursday.
“As of today, about 20% of our territory is under the control of the occupiers, almost 125 thousand square kilometers. This is much larger than the area of all the Benelux countries combined,” Zelensky said to the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg via video link, CNN reported.
Zelensky also stated fighting continues along the front line that is stretched over “more than a thousand kilometers” along the territories of Kharkiv region to Mykolaiv in the country’s South.
He added Ukraine’s Donbas region is “simply devastated”, calling it “once one of the most powerful industrial centers in Europe”.
Zelensky claimed at least 30,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the war began over three months ago.
Read also: TV Comedian, Zelensky, Sworn In As Ukraine’s President
“That’s greater than the death toll of the Soviet Union in 10 years of war in Afghanistan, greater than Russia’s death toll in two Chechen wars,” according to Zelensky.
In his remarks to the lawmakers, the Ukrainian president urged additional sanctions on Russia, asking for more weapons to support Ukraine’s fight along the front line.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. Moscow stressed that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine.
The US, the EU, the UK and a number of other states have imposed sanctions against Russian legal entities and individuals. They also increased supplies of weapons to the Ukrainian authorities.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the US and its NATO allies for delivering arms to Ukraine, insisting that the inflow of supplies will only prolong the conflict. The Kremlin has also stressed Western weapons are considered a legitimate target once they enter Ukrainian territory.
(Farsnews Agency)
