Russia’s death toll in Ukraine war reportedly reach 45,000
- 23 February, 02:18
Two years into the war in Ukraine, Russia has lost over 45,123 of its troops, according to researchers from Mediazona and the BBC's Russian Service.
These casualties, whose identities have been established, include volunteers, conscripts, ex-prisoners, and personnel from private military companies, with approximately two-thirds having no prior military connections before the start of Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine.
Among the confirmed dead, 5,406 were mobilized soldiers, and a staggering 80 percent of them perished in the second year of the conflict. The regions with the highest casualties include Krasnodar, Sverdlovsk, Bashkortostan, and Chelyabinsk, according to researchers.
Last year alone, journalists identified 27,906 Russian soldiers who lost their lives, marking a 57 percent increase compared to the confirmed losses in the first year of the invasion. Notably, the researchers confirmed the deaths of 6,614 Russian soldiers who were killed in the period from October last year till now, when Russian forces advanced on the industrial city of Avdiivka and surrounding areas in eastern Donetsk region. Avdiivka recently fell to Moscow's forces. The research relies on data from open sources such as media obituaries, social media messages from relatives, reports from local administrations, and cemetery records. However, researchers emphasize that the actual figures may be at least twice as high.
