Photo: Screenshot from Taiga.info video
London/Moscow – At least 95,026 Russian servicemen have been killed in the war since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022. These figures were published by the BBC’s Russian Service, Mediaphone and a team of volunteers based on open sources.
According to the latest report, in the last two weeks alone, another 4,000 troopshave been added to the list of dead.
Who makes up the majority of the dead?
The study showed that more than half of the dead were volunteers who had no connection with the Russian army before the war and signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence after the outbreak of hostilities.
Volunteers and journalists also analysed information on the deaths of fighters from the so-called ‘DPR ‘ and ‘LPR’. According to their estimates, from the beginning of the war to date, these illegal armed groups have lost between 21 and 23,500 people.
Significant losses among prisoners and those mobilised from ORDLO
The researchers paid special attention to the losses among prisoners who were sent to the front after being recruited by private military companies such as Wagner. According to the BBC, the number of prisoners killed reached 16,171.
Thus, according to journalists’ estimates:
– out of every 10 deathson the Russian side:
– 3– prisoners sent to war,
– 2-militants from the “DPR” or “LPR”,
– The rest are military personnel or volunteers.
Real losses could be much higher
The authors of the study emphasise that the real losses of the Russian army may be much higher than officially confirmed. According to their estimates, the number of Russian military deaths could range from 146,194 to 211,169. And if we take into account the losses among the “DPR” and “LPR” militants, the total number of deaths on the Russian side could range from 167,194 to 234,669.
Medusa and Mediaphone research confirms significant losses
As a reminder, in July 2024 , Medusa and Mediaphone published a separate study in which, using mathematical models and data on excess mortality, they estimated the total number of Russian military deaths at around 120,000 over the two and a half years of the war.
These studies once again underline the scale of Russia’s losses in the war against Ukraine, which far exceed the official figures provided by the Kremlin.
