Russian casualties in Ukraine. Mediazona count, updated

Since our September 8 update, we’ve added almost one thousand names to our list.

Mobilised soldiers are the casualties category that has seen the largest increase in the last two weeks (+200). We assume this trend will grow stronger, because there are less and less volunters, contract soldiers, and inmates dying in the war. Even though inmates are still the largest casualties category, it’s growth slowed down significantly. In part, this is the result of a less active recruitement campaign by Russia’s Ministry of Defence, as opposed to previous efforts by Wagner PMC.

Six people were added to our list of officers holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or higher.

Two of them are volunteers. Ali Meitkhanov was the deputy commander of the Terek Cossack brigade and Evgeny Beloshapkin was a police officer in the Tyumen region prior to the war.

Colonel Alexei Titov died more than a year ago, in early September 2022, but his death became public only after a memorial plaque was installed at his former school.

Two of the officers served in the Airborne forces. Vasily Popov was the commander of the 247th regiment from Stavropol for a brief period of time. Andrei Kondrashkin, according to some sources, was leading the 31st brigade from Ulyanovsk, and according to others, was the commander of the 85th Motorised Rifle brigade, which was raised in the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic.

Former Colonel Valentin was the deputy commander of the 98th Airborne division. The officer was accused of organising the theft of car tires and batteries, sentenced to 4 years in prison, and stripped of his rank. Apparently, while in prison, he joined the Wagner PMC and died in the battle for Bakhmut in January 2023.

The current count of the high ranking officers stands at 301.

High-ranking officer deaths identified over two weeks

What we know about the casualties

The majority of those killed in action come from Krasnodar and Sverdlovsk regions, Bashkiria, Chelyabinsk region, Buryatia, and Moscow region. The hightened number of casualty reports from Krasnodar (also known as Kuban) and Moscow regions are largely due to volunteers’ efforts in documenting local cemeteries, which makes more casualties publicly known.

The distribution of casualties across Russian regions is presented in absolute terms, without adjustments based on regional population or the presence of military units.

Readers can view either the total casualty count or a breakdown by specific army branches. Additionally, information about the origins of mobilised soldiers who were killed is available.

In most instances, a deceased serviceman’s military branch is specified on the death report or can be deduced from the uniform and insignia visible in their photos.

Mobilised soldiers, volunteers, and inmates aren’t categorised by specific branches but we’ve chosen to distinguish them separately for comparison purposes with regular military personnel. The following is a distribution of deaths by army branches.

Since the summer, volunteer units have experienced the highest number of casualties, contrasting with the figures from February and spring. In the war’s initial weeks, the Airborne forces faced the heaviest losses, followed by the Motorised rifle forces. A significant portion of those killed in action without a designated branch were volunteer fighters.

By the end of 2022 and into the start of this year, the death toll among prisoners recruited by the Wagner PMC surged. These individuals were organised into “assault groups” targeting Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut. In March 2023, inmates constituted the most substantial portion of our war casualty data.

As of August 11, we’ve been able to verify deaths of over 2,500 officers, with 301 holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or above.

Officers killed in Ukraine

As of today, the deaths of only two deputy commanders of armies have been officially confirmed: Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky of the 41st Army, and Major General Vladimir Frolov of the 8th Army. Retired Major General Kanamat Botashev, 63, was killed in late May; this former fighter pilot had likely volunteered to re-enter the Armed Forces. Major General Roman Kutuzov was reported dead on June 5. The Black Sea Fleet’s deputy commander, Captain 1st Rank Andrei Paliy, is also listed among the casualties.

In June 2023, the passing of Major General Sergei Goryachev was announced. He served as the chief of staff for the 35th Combined Arms Army, responsible for confronting the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region.

By July 2023, the death of the first Lieutenant General, Oleg Tsokov, deputy commander of the Southern Military District, was confirmed.

The date of the deaths is specified in over 23,500 reports. While the daily casualty count from this data might not provide a comprehensive view of the overall tally, it does hint at the days witnessing the fiercest combat.

It also has to be mentioned that the most recent information might not be exhaustive. Upcoming updates could lead to considerable revisions in the data.

Of our reports detailing casualties, 25,900 specify the age of the deceased. During the war’s first six months, when regular military units were predominantly in combat, those aged 21–23 experienced the highest mortality rate.

The age profile is different for volunteer and mobilised fighters. Typically, men who volunteer for combat are between 30–35 years or older, while most of the mobilised soldiers are aged over 25.