The number of casualties in Russiaʼs war against Ukraine is approaching 1.4 million people. This is the total loss of Russian and Ukrainian troops in killed and wounded.
This was calculated by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The study is reported by The New York Times.
According to CSIS, almost a million Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in the war against Ukraine. Ukrainian losses are about 400 000. However, it is important to understand that military losses are difficult to calculate accurately: Moscow systematically underestimates the number of dead and wounded, and Kyiv does not disclose official figures. Therefore, the CSIS study is based on estimates from the US and UK governments and other sources.
Since the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Russian military has lost approximately 250 000 soldiers killed. CSIS notes that this is the highest number of casualties for Russia and the Soviet Union in wars fought since World War II.
As of the end of May 2025, Russian media have collected the names of over 110 000 dead soldiers. The highest confirmed losses are in Tuva (120 dead for every 10 000 men). At the same time, CSIS estimates the number of dead in the Ukrainian army at 60 000–100 000.
According to CSIS, as of January 2024, Russia has captured less than 1% of Ukraine’s territory, despite the ongoing offensive. Overall, Russia controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. The report’s authors call this “the slowest pace of any offensive campaign in modern warfare”.
Although the total number of casualties in the Russian army is almost three times higher than in Ukraine, Kyiv is losing a much larger share of its army in the fighting, the researchers note. This is because the Russian army participating in the fighting significantly outnumbers the Ukrainian one. On the front lines, approximately 250 000 Ukrainian soldiers are facing more than 400 000 Russians, CSIS says.
Analysts say Russia could face years of attrition, given the huge losses and slow progress. Especially if the United States and Europe continue to provide Ukraine with military assistance and intelligence. Ukraine’s ability to hold the front and strike at Russian territory has undermined the global image of Russian military power, European and American officials say. For Russia to win in the near term, the CSIS believes, the United States should end its support for Ukraine.
- Ukraine and Russia rarely publish official figures on their losses in the war. The last time Russia officially reported this was in September 2022, when it reported 5 937 deaths. Ukraine updated its statistics on February 16, 2025: according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, 46 000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and almost 380 000 were wounded.
- Regarding Russiaʼs losses, Zelensky said that as of February 4, Russia had lost almost 350 000 soldiers killed, another 50 000-70 000 were missing, and 600 000-700 000 were wounded. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of June 4, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Federation has lost approximately 991 000 soldiers killed and wounded.
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