Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
If there was any doubt how the Russian military value the lives of the soldiers …
More than four years of war in Ukraine, and the Russian military continues to struggle to achieve even minimal territorial gains.
At the beginning of the Russian invasion, Russia achieved massive territorial gains, seizing approximately 27% of Ukraine’s total territory, including the previously held areas in Crimea and Donbas.
A Ukrainian counteroffensive brought the amount of territory under Russian control down to between 18% and 20% by late 2022, and since then Russia has made only minimal territorial gains.
In February 2026, the Center for Strategic & International Studies released an analysis in which the researchers highlighted the fact that Russia has seized less than 1.5% of Ukraine’s total territory since the beginning of 2024.
And the cost of those gains is grim.
More than 1.3 million casualties
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the estimated total Russian losses in the war were 1,338,060 personnel as of May 7, 2026.
That is roughly equal to the population of the city of Dallas, Texas, according to Data USA.
But here is the kicker: Russia’s total estimated population as of 2026 is approximately 143.3 million, according to Worldometers.
This means that Russia has lost nearly 1% of the country’s entire population in Ukraine.
Monthly losses of 35,000+
2026 has so far been a very bloody year for the Russian armed forces.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, March resulted in 35,351 Russian casualties and April in 35,203 Russian casualties.
In February, Western officials estimated that Russia had been losing 40,000 soldiers per month since November.
At this pace, Russia will have lost 1% of its entire population before the fall.
Sources: Institute for the Study of War, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Data USA, Worldometers, Center for Strategic & International Studies
