Ukraine's war with pro-Russian separatists is costing Kiev between 5 and 7 million euros ($5.5 to $8 million) per day, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
Ukraine is struggling amid a deep economic crisis to fund the battle against rebels in the country's eastern regions, which has dragged on for 10 months and claimed over 5,000 lives.
"Every day of war costs the state budget 5 to 7 million euros," Poroshenko said in an interview with Germany's Die Welt newspaper published Thursday. "We need financial assistance in order to overcome these difficulties, and [...] enact further reforms," he added.
Kiev has already received $4.6 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which promised a $17 billion aid package over two years. The remainder of these funds should be distributed this year.
Assuming that the cost of war has remained consistent since the beginning of the year, Kiev has spent anywhere from 175 to 245 million euros ($200 to $280 million) fighting the pro-Russian separatists in 2015.
The intensity of fighting has been inconsistent since the conflict began in April, but an average cost 5 million euros a day would mean Ukraine has spent some $1.5 billion on the fighting.
The conflict shows no sign of cooling. A tentative cease-fire gave way to renewed violence last month, and Poroshenko has called up 50,000 men to bolster the army's ranks on the front line.
Meanwhile, support is building in Washington for the U.S. to supply Kiev's forces with defensive military weapons to assist in its fight against the separatists.
