Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 56,858 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Since Mediazona's last update at the end of May, the names of 2,677 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.
The journalists note that the actual figures are likely significantly higher, as their verified information comes from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities.
Since Russia began its all-out war against Ukraine, over 3,600 officers, with 424 holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or higher have been killed in combat in Ukraine.
To date, Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov, Russia's deputy commander of the Southern Military District, is the highest-ranking Russian military official to have been killed during the war.
The analysts note that at least 11,463 Russian inmates have been killed on Ukraine's eastern front.
On May 25, the total number of Russian losses surpassed 500,000 military personnel according to Ukrainian estimates. The numbers are seemingly in line with the estimates of the U.K. and France, which said earlier in May that the overall Russian losses are set to be around 500,000, including 150,000 deaths.
As of June 21, 2024, the Ukrainian military estimates Russian combat losses at 531,980 troops.
On Feb. 24, in a joint study with independent Russian media outlet Meduza, Mediazona reported that at least 83,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in Russia's war. President Volodymyr Zelensky also claimed in February that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have also been killed.
Both estimates have likely grown significantly higher as Russia launched its spring offensive in Kharkiv Oblast.
Martin Fornusek
