20,000 Russian troops killed in July alone, Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump said nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers have died in July alone, calling the war in Ukraine "unnecessary" and reiterating his demand for a peace deal by Aug. 8.
"I have just been informed that almost 20,000 Russian soldiers died this month in the ridiculous War with Ukraine," Trump posted on Truth Social on Aug. 1. "Russia has lost 112,500 soldiers since the beginning of the year. That is a lot of unnecessary DEATH!"
Accurate, independently verifiable data on each side's total losses on the battlefield is not available.
According to the daily figures released by Ukraine's General Staff, Russia lost a total of 33,220 troops over the month of July, bringing the total figure to 1,054,200 for the whole period of full-scale war. The General Staff's figures do not distinguish between killed and wounded in action.
Trump added that Ukraine has suffered an estimated 8,000 military deaths since January, not including missing personnel.
Ukraine does not regularly publish figures of its own losses.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 16 this year that over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died on the battlefield since February 2022.
"Ukraine has also lost civilians, but in smaller numbers, as Russian rockets crash into Kyiv, and other Ukrainian locales," he wrote. "This is a War that should have never happened."
The post comes amid a renewed diplomatic push by the Trump administration to bring an end to Russia's full-scale invasion. Senior U.S. diplomat John Kelley told the United Nations Security Council on July 31 that Trump wants both sides to agree to a ceasefire and "durable peace" by Aug. 8.
"President Trump has made clear this must be done by Aug. 8. The United States is prepared to implement additional measures to secure peace," Kelley said.
Trump previously warned that major tariffs on Russia would begin taking effect unless Moscow agreed to halt its invasion. The proposed measures include secondary sanctions targeting countries that continue to import Russian oil, gas, and other goods — a move that could directly affect China, India, and others.
Trump originally set a 50-day deadline for a peace deal on July 14 but has since said he is no longer willing to wait. "There's no reason in waiting," he said on July 28.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, said the threats could lead to a wider conflict. "Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country," Medvedev wrote on X.
Trump's comments follow a deadly Russian missile attack on Kyiv that killed at least 31 people and wounded over 150 others, according to Ukrainian officials.
