Through open-source research, Mediazona, an independent Russian media outlet, along with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 50,471 Russian soldiers killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Since Mediazona’s last update at the end of March, the names of 1,190 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.
Journalists note that the current figures are likely significantly higher as the information they have verified so far comes from public sources, including obituaries, posts from relatives, regional media reports, and reports from local authorities. Media outlets estimate that the true number could exceed 100,000.
Mediazona also adds that their Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) analyst teams tracking military equipment losses have observed a significant depletion in Russia’s inventory of tanks, APCs, BMPs, and artillery in recent weeks.
Since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine, over 3,300 officers, including 390 with the rank of lieutenant colonel or higher, have been killed in combat in Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed in February 2024 that 180,000 Russians had been killed in the war. He added that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had also been killed. Zelensky said the exact number is unknown and will only be possible to ascertain after the territories occupied by Russia are liberated.
