Over 204,000 Russian Soldiers Identified as Killed in Ukraine War

The comprehensive report reveals that a significant portion of those killed were not active soldiers before the conflict began. About 37% of the casualties were individuals with civilian professions who enlisted in the Russian army only after the war started.

Furthermore, more than 80% of military personnel previously classified as missing in action were confirmed dead through inheritance registries and court databases. Most of these casualties occurred recently, with 66% of confirmed deaths happening in 2024 and an additional 23% in 2025.

This data sheds light on the human cost of the conflict, particularly amongst those who were thrust into combat without prior military experience. The regions of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan reported the highest number of confirmed deaths, totaling 9,473 individuals.

Volunteer soldiers, mobilized forces, and prisoners make up approximately 57% of all fatalities reported. Notably, many of these individuals had no military ties before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The report also breaks down the casualty numbers by military roles, indicating the Russian army faced the most significant losses among volunteers (75,288) and contract soldiers (40,393). Other affected groups include 22,207 prisoners, 18,226 mobilized staff, and 2,900 Private Military Company (PMC) participants.

Unfortunately, the researchers were unable to determine the categories for another 45,612 deceased personnel. This includes 494 lieutenant colonels, 164 colonels, and 13 generals.

The loss of both senior and junior officers has raised concerns about the disorganization of Russian military units. The report concludes with an estimation that the actual number of Russian fatalities in the conflict could range from 314,809 to 454,724.

These figures starkly contrast with Ukrainian military assessments, which state that approximately 1,285,700 Russian troops have been lost in total since February 24, 2022, with 1,610 casualties reported in just the last day.