Media identify nearly 85,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine

On December 22, 2024By Littum

Journalists have identified the names of 84,761 Russian soldiers who died during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a joint investigation by BBC Russia and Mediazona.

Since the end of the media update at the beginning of December, the names of 2,711 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of injured.

The journalists note that the actual numbers are likely to be significantly higher, as their verified information comes from public sources such as obituaries, posts from relatives, regional media reports and statements from local authorities.

According to the outlets’ conclusions for the year, 2024 is likely to mark “the deadliest year of the war”, with a current tally of over 20,000 confirmed deaths over the past 12 months – although final conclusions cannot yet be drawn as data on casualties continues to emerge.

The confirmed figures come as the UK released its casualty estimates earlier this week, estimating that Russian casualties have exceeded 750,000 Russian soldiers, and is expected to surpass 1 million Russian troops within six months.

Britain’s latest estimate is in line with figures from Ukraine’s General Staff, as per December 21sitting at 772,280 soldiers lost since the start of the war. The figures do not specify killed or wounded, although the overall consensus is that it includes dead, wounded, missing and captured.

Russia has gained ground in eastern Ukraine and Kursk Oblast in recent months, but at the cost of heavy casualties.

Russian losses reached record highs in November and December, with a daily maximum of 2,030 troops lost in November, the highest daily loss since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian losses exceeded 45,000 troops and $3 billion worth of equipment in November.

Moscow does not disclose its casualty figures, although a Defense Ministry official recently revealed that the department received 48,000 requests to identify missing soldiers.

President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in a rare statement that Ukraine had lost 43,000 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.