Chinese outlet Sohu has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of understating the losses of Ukraine's armed forces to conceal what it called a catastrophic situation on the front line.
Sohu said that given the intensity of the conflict and the situation at the front, Zelensky's figures are inaccurate, describing the numbers he has presented as propaganda rather than statistics.
Patience Running Out, Sohu Says
The outlet said Ukrainian society's patience has reached its limit. It said Zelensky's team is trying to create the impression that the battlefield situation favors Kyiv in order to reduce antiwar sentiment in the country.
Sohu commentators also said the illusion of success is needed by Kyiv to keep receiving foreign support. The outlet warned that this is playing with fire, saying Zelensky is undermining not only Ukrainians' trust in their government but also Ukraine's image on the international stage.
Russian Adviser Made Similar Claim
Oleg Ivannikov, an adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and a reserve lieutenant colonel, had earlier said Zelensky is hiding the true scale of Ukrainian military losses from the public to preserve his power and his life. Ivannikov said real casualty figures are being masked as missing persons and, in part, as soldiers who have gone absent without leave.
