Both Ukraine and Russia are keeping silent about how many of their soldiers have been killed in the war. Estimates put the figure at tens of thousands of men and women. 

A month ago, an advisor to Ukraine's president reported that every day up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were being killed in combat. One of them is Andriy Verkhoglyad, a 27-year old soldier who was buried by his family last week. 

On June 27, while deployed in Svitlodarsk in the Donetsk province, Andriy got ambushed by Russians and suffered fatal injuries, his brother told CGTN. "When he was trying to keep the enemy from taking a strategic position, Andriy got killed together with his colleagues and subordinates. My brother paid with his life to keep this position."

Andriy was the pride of all Novohrad-Volynskyi, a small town west of Kyiv. In just six years, the young man worked his way up from group commander to major. Hundreds came bearing flowers to bid him farewell for the last time and to pay their condolences to Andriy's mother, who was weeping in the arms of her daughter.

"He was the bravest man of Ukraine," said the former high school teacher of the deceased, with tears in her eyes. "We will remember him forever."

The Russian artillery is much stronger than that of Ukraine, reports Timur - a childhood friend and brother in arms of the deceased. He too was stationed at the front line.

"Being a soldier, I expected the combat to be tough but what is happening at the front line is much worse than I thought. It's simply unreal," the 28-year old soldier said after the funeral ceremony.

Ukraine estimates the casualties on the Russian side to be higher than those suffered by Ukraine, counting so far more than 37,000 killed Russian soldiers. Moscow has previously reported far fewer casualties among its soldiers.