August M
Independent Russian journalists and researchers estimate that more than 350,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, highlighting the enormous human cost of the war on both sides.
DR News reported that the figures come from investigations conducted by the exile media outlets Mediazona and Meduza together with BBC Russian and volunteer researchers.
Death toll grows
According to the investigation, around 217,000 Russian military deaths have been individually confirmed through names and public records.
However, Mediazona and Meduza estimate the real number of Russian soldiers killed could be closer to 352,000 by the end of 2025.
The outlets stressed that casualty figures in wartime are difficult to verify because governments often underreport their own losses while exaggerating enemy casualties.
Tracking hidden deaths
DR News reported that researchers used a combination of obituaries, funeral notices, cemetery records, inheritance cases and social media posts to track Russian military deaths.
The investigation also relied heavily on inheritance registry data in Russia.
According to the report, analysts compared verified soldier deaths with broader patterns in inheritance registrations and mortality statistics among military-age men to estimate additional unreported casualties.
Kremlin rejects estimates
The figures differ sharply from official Russian statements.
The Moscow Times reported that Russia has not officially updated military casualty numbers since September 2022, when Moscow claimed fewer than 6,000 soldiers had been killed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has previously dismissed independent estimates, insisting only figures from Russia’s Defence Ministry should be trusted.
Ukraine also suffers losses
The report noted that Ukraine has also suffered severe military losses during the conflict.
According to estimates cited by DR News from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), between 60,000 and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers may have been killed between 2022 and 2025.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian OSINT group UALosses has confirmed nearly 98,000 Ukrainian military deaths and reported tens of thousands missing.
War’s lasting cost
Despite the heavy casualties, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently claimed the war was moving toward an end following Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.
But Danish Institute for International Studies researcher Flemming Splidsboel argued that both countries had already paid an enormous price.
“Basically, we can say that both Ukraine and Russia lost this war a long time ago because the casualty figures are so insane and because the costs have been so great,” he said.
Sources: DR News, Mediazona, Meduza, BBC Russian, The Moscow Times, CSIS.
