More than 40 Ukraine soldiers, nearly 10 civilians killed: Volodymyr Zelensky

Military trucks, with letter 'Z' on them, drive near Armyansk, in Crimea, February 24, 2022 in this screen grab taken from a video. (Image: Reuters)

More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers and around 10 civilians died in the first hours of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Thursday.

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"I know that more than 40 have been killed and several dozen wounded. I am aware of nearly 10 civilian losses," presidential administration aide Oleksiy Arestovych told reporters.