The Russian independent media Mediazona in collaboration with the BBC Russian Service confirmed the identities of 239,354 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.
The latest count covers confirmed cases of military deaths from February 24, 2022 to August 13, 2026. Among the identified deceased are 87,749 volunteers, 26,416 former prisoners recruited into the military, and 19,778 mobilized servicemen. The deaths of 7,530 officers have also been confirmed.
The actual number of deaths is likely significantly higher, as the verification process is extremely slow. It relies on sources such as obituaries, relatives’ posts on social media, local‑media reports, and statements from local authorities.
Mediazona partially linked the delay to the increased use of drones and to changes in Russian tactics, including attempts to infiltrate with small units. This can leave bodies on the battlefield for extended periods, postponing identification and the official recording of deaths.
According to the reports, the date of death is known in 221,500 cases, accounting for 93% of the confirmed fatalities.
Loss estimates
Although loss estimates vary, independent Western assessments consistently indicate that Russian losses far exceed Ukrainian ones.
On July 31, President Volodymyr Zelensky released data showing that Russian forces have suffered about 1.6 million military losses since the start of the full‑scale invasion, including roughly 700,000 deaths.
Zelensky added that about 50,000 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and approximately 400,000 have been wounded.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine estimates that as of August 17, 2026, Russia has lost about 1,467,320 military personnel in Ukraine since February 22, 2022. These figures do not break down deaths versus injuries, though they are understood to include fatalities, wounded, missing persons and prisoners.
The publication The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify these figures.
Source: Kyiv Independent
