Ukraine's Defence Minister issues apology for comparing Ukraine's losses with victims in Türkiye

Oleksii Reznikov, Defence Minister of Ukraine, has apologised for his words that the losses on the Ukrainian side during the war were less than the number of victims of the earthquake in Türkiye.

Source: Reznikov on Twitter

Quote: "I sincerely apologise to anyone in Ukraine or Türkiye, who was offended by my comments in an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Razon.

Ukrainians sympathise with the Turkish people. We understand what it's like to bury thousands of innocent people – friends and neighbours.

I am grateful to our Turkish friends for their unwavering support and firm stance on Crimea since the russian invasion began."

Background: Oleksii Reznikov, Defence Minister of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Razon that the losses on the Ukrainian side during the full-scale war were less than the number of victims of the earthquake in Türkiye.

"Of course, we have losses, because we are at war. But they are critically smaller than the Russian losses. I cannot give a figure, but I can assure you that the total number is less than the death toll from the earthquake in Türkiye," he said.

The confirmed death toll from the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria exceeds 50,000 people.

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