Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy says 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed - but it could be much worse for Russia

We're pausing our live coverage.

Today was highlighted by the US-brokered trilateral talks between Ukraine and Russia - and there will be another round tomorrow.

Before talks got under way in Abu Dhabi, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian troops will keep fighting in Ukraine until ​Kyiv ​makes "decisions" that could bring ‍the war to an end.

We also heard from US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who said a breakthrough may not come for a while, though he added "the checklist of open items in terms of reaching a peace agreement... substantially diminished".

"That's the good news. The bad news is that the items that remain are the most difficult ones," he went on to say.

Ukraine's national security secretary Rustem Umerov, who was in the meeting, said talks were "substantive and productive".

We'll be back tomorrow with the latest from those negotiations and other developments.

For the first time in more than half a century, there will be no legal limits on US and Russian missiles and warheads.

Our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett outlines how we got here.

A brief update to bring you from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who's given his nightly video address.

Trilateral talks will continue tomorrow in Abu Dhabi with the US and Russia, and he's given this update...

"There will also be a significant step: we expect a POW (prisoners of war) exchange in the near future.

"Captives must be brought home. Overall, Ukraine's position is very clear: the war must be ended for real.

"Russia must be ready for this."

Two Russian space vehicles intercepted at least a dozen key satellites over Europe, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Officials say the interceptions could compromise sensitive information sent by satellites or even allow Russia to manipulate where they are delivered or crash them. 

The report suggests Russian space vehicles have shadowed European satellites over the past three years while Moscow continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Both craft have closely approached some of Europe's most important geostationary satellites, which operate for the continent and operate high above the Earth. 

While Volodymyr Zelenskyy puts the figure at an estimated 55,000 troops killed (see the post below this one), experts have given higher numbers.

In a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, the estimate ranges between 100,000-140,000 killed since the start of the war in 2022.

The study also states close to 600,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed, wounded or missing in that time.

On Russian casualties, the estimate is far higher:

Russian forces have suffered approximately 1.2 million casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) and as many as 325,000 killed since February 2022. 

No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since the Second World War, it added.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told France 2 TV that an estimated 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield in the war with Russia.

"In Ukraine, officially the number of soldiers killed on the battlefield - either professionals or those conscripted - is 55,000," he said in a pre-recorded interview.

Zelenskyy added that on top of the casualties, a "large number of people" are considered officially missing. 

Dmitry Medvedev has made a Game of Thrones reference, with the US-Russia nuclear arms deal is about to expire (see post at 18:00).

"That's it. For the first time since 1972, Russia (the former USSR) and the US have no treaty limiting strategic nuclear forces," he says.

"SALT 1, SALT 2, START I, START II, SORT, New START - all in the past." 

Medvedev accompanies the post with a Game of Thrones photo captioned "WINTER IS COMING". 

Italy has blocked several cyberattacks targeting its foreign ministry facilities, according to foreign minister Antonio Tajani.

"These are actions of Russian origin," he said today. 

"We prevented a series of cyberattacks against foreign ministry sites, starting with Washington and also involving some Winter Olympics sites, including hotels in Cortina."

Emmanuel Macron's most senior diplomat Emmanuel Bonne was in Moscow yesterday to hold talks with Russian officials, sources have told the Reuters news agency.

The source added that it was important to have dialogue between both sides.

The French presidency did not confirm or deny the visit, saying: "As the president said during his doorstop yesterday, discussions exist at a technical level in full transparency and in consultation with President Zelenskyy and with the main European colleagues." 

We reported at 12:45 that the Kremlin said low-level talks between Russia and France were underway, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying there was no announcement on when Vladimir Putin and Macron would talk.

Donald Trump says he had an "excellent" call with China's President Xi Jingping with the two leaders discussing the war in Ukraine. 

The conversation came hours after Xi's virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump is also due to travel to China in April to meet Xi in person. 

The US president adds in a post on his Truth Social platform that the two leaders had "a long and thorough call" about other topics, including trade, military issues, Taiwan, Iran, airplane engine deliveries, and oil and gas purchases by China from the United States.

"I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi," Trump added. 

Trump did not mention whether he discussed a nuclear arms deal with Xi, with US secretary of state Marco Rubio earlier saying any treaty must include China "because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile" (see previous post).