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Independent analysts estimate that Russia has suffered significantly heavier losses than Ukraine during nearly four years of full-scale war.
New figures released by Kyiv’s military place Moscow’s total troop casualties above 1.26 million, reports The Kyiv Independent.
Independent estimates first
The Center for Strategic and International Studies has assessed that Russian casualties outpace Ukraine’s by a ratio of “roughly 2.5:1 or 2:1,” according to a January 2026 report cited by the Kyiv Independent.
That same report estimated Ukraine sustained between 500,000 and 600,000 total casualties from February 2022 through December 2025, including between 100,000 and 140,000 killed in action.
Such external assessments provide context for the competing claims issued by both sides, as neither country regularly publishes fully verifiable battlefield data.
Kyiv’s latest figures
Against that backdrop, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Feb. 27 that Russia has lost approximately 1,265,130 troops since launching its invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the Kyiv Independent reported.
The military’s daily update added that 1,280 Russian casualties were recorded over the previous 24 hours.
The totals reflect those killed, wounded or otherwise removed from combat. The figures could not be independently confirmed.
War of attrition
Kyiv’s report underscores the grinding nature of the conflict, now entering its fourth year, with sustained fighting along multiple front-line sectors.
Ukraine has not disclosed its own official casualty totals, citing operational security considerations.
As the war continues, casualty estimates from governments and research institutions remain one of the few indicators of the scale of losses on both sides.
Sources: The Kyiv Independent, Center for Strategic and International Studies
