Fact-check · Nov 8, 2026 · Donald Trump
“In Russia and Ukraine, they're losing 25,000 mostly soldiers every month”
MISLEADINGSaid in 9 broadcasts
What the record shows
NATO estimated Russia losing 20,000-25,000 killed monthly (Jan 2026). By Oct 2026, Ukraine's General Staff reported 49,040 Russian casualties; NATO cited 40,000+ monthly. The 25,000 figure understates current losses and conflates killed with total casualties.
The 25,000 figure was accurate for early 2026 Russian killed, but significantly understates current monthly losses (40,000-54,000 total casualties as of Oct 2026). The claim's ambiguity about whether it means killed or total casualties adds
Sources
- Russian military monthly losses exceed 49,000 personnel in October
- Ukraine invests in firepower as it inflicts a new Russian casualty record
- Russian Blood and Treasure: The Ballooning Costs of Putin’s War
- Map shows Ukraine's major September gains as Russian casualties hit 2026 high - Newsweek
- Russia’s Military Losses Hit All-Time Monthly High as Ukraine Reports Over 49,000 in October — UNITED24 Media
- Russia Suffers Bloodiest Month of War as 54,400 Troops Killed or Severely Wounded in October — UNITED24 Media
Every time it was said
9 times, Sep 2, 2026 to Nov 8, 2026 · 2 true · 4 misleading · 1 false · 2 unconfirmed
TrueMisleadingFalseUnconfirmed
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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