Key facts
- Over 225,000 Russian soldiers have been identified as killed in Ukraine by a media investigation.
- The confirmed casualties include volunteers, recruited prisoners, mobilized soldiers, and officers.
- Actual Russian death tolls are likely higher than verified figures.
- Western assessments indicate Russian losses are significantly greater than Ukrainian casualties.
- Russian authorities have not released official figures on their army's losses.
Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 225,019 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine. Since their last update in late May, 3,813 additional Russian soldiers have been added to the casualty list. The journalists noted that the actual figures are likely significantly higher, as their verified information is drawn from public sources like obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities. The confirmed death toll includes over 82,400 volunteers, 25,400 recruited prisoners, 19,000 mobilized soldiers, and 7,226 officers. While casualty estimates vary, independent Western assessments consistently conclude that Russian losses significantly exceed Ukrainian casualties. The Center for Strategic and International Studies stated in January 2026 that Russian casualties were roughly double to 2.5 times greater than Ukraine's. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that the rate compared to Ukrainian losses amounts to "one to five or one to six." The head of the United Kingdom's intelligence, cyber and security agency, Anne Keast-Butler, said on May 27 that nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the war. Russian media outlets Mediazona and Meduza also released estimates in early May suggesting that 352,000 Russian men between 18 and 59 have been killed. President Zelensky stated earlier this year that Russian soldiers are suffering upwards of 35,000 losses per month. Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that more than 83,000 Russians were killed as of May 20. These casualty estimates come as Ukraine has gained the upper hand on the battlefield in recent months, recapturing nearly 100 square kilometers more territory than lost in May. Since the full-scale invasion began, Russian authorities have refused to release figures on their army's losses. In February, Zelensky said at least 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces estimates that as of June 12, Russia has lost around 1,380,120 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 22, 2022, a figure that includes dead, wounded, missing, and captured personnel.