ANKARA

Nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers have so far been killed in Ukraine, the Ukrainian military claimed on Friday.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 163 Russian aircraft, 144 helicopters, 134 unmanned aerial vehicles, 756 tanks, 1,976 armored vehicles and 366 artillery systems, according to the Ukrainian General Staff’s latest update.

Some 122 Russian multiple rocket launcher systems, 1,443 vehicles, 76 fuel tanks, 66 anti-aircraft systems and seven boats have also been destroyed, it added.

At least 1,964 civilians have been killed and 2,613 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure believed to be much higher.

More than 4.73 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7 million more internally displaced, shows the latest data by the UN refugee agency.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar