MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. A large number of Ukrainian troops have been killed in combat, Kirill Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), acknowledged.

When asked by a reporter from the 1+1 TV channel about how the Ukrainian armed forces were handling troop losses, Budanov pointed out that it would be untruthful to say that it was easy. "The reason is that losses are high," he went on to say, adding that it was a reality that required getting used to.

In mid-August, the New York Times reported, citing estimates by Western officials and analysts, that the Ukrainian army’s losses had exceeded 150,000 casualties, including both killed in action (KIA) and wounded in action (WIA), since February 2022.