Fact-check · Oct 16, 2026 · Donald Trump
“25,000 soldiers on average a month are being killed. Last month, 32,000 soldiers.”
MOSTLY TRUESaid in 8 broadcasts
What the record shows
Trump stated 25,000 killed last month, 32,000 the month before. NATO reports 20,000-25,000 Russian killed monthly; September 2026 saw 28,000+ killed per NATO. Figures are in the ballpark but the transcript reverses Trump's stated order.
Trump's casualty figures align with NATO/Ukrainian estimates for Russian losses. However, the transcript reverses his stated sequence: he said 25,000 last month and 32,000 before that, not the reverse.
Sources
Every time it was said
8 times, Sep 2, 2026 to Nov 5, 2026 · 2 true · 2 misleading · 4 unconfirmed
TrueMisleadingUnconfirmed
The verdicts differ. Differences come from changes in the wording or in what each check found. Each check is linked below.
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