Russian losses in the war with Ukraine.
Mediazona count, updated

Whilst Vladimir Putin was showcasing his new weapons—the “Oreshnik” hypersonic missile attack raising fresh concerns about nuclear escalation—Mediazona has documented nearly 2,700 new Russian military deaths in Ukraine over the past fortnight. The total confirmed death toll now approaches 80,000, with volunteers accounting for 17,000 casualties, recruited prisoners for 14,500, and mobilised soldiers for 9,700.

Our report coincides with mounting evidence of systemic violence within Russian military units. Recent cases include two commanders—call signs Bely and Gvozd (“White” and “Nail”)—arrested for keeping subordinates in dog cages, and the death of American volunteer Russell Bentley in a military detention facility.

These prominent cases have drawn attention even from pro-war milbloggers. However, torture and killings of less notable fighters often go unreported. Proving that someone was “zeroed out”—summarily executed by being sent into hopeless combat—remains extremely difficult, as commanders predictably withhold such information from relatives.

Obituaries and other open sources seldom reveal details of these crimes. Even when families know the truth about their loved ones’ deaths, they understandably hesitate to write about it publicly. Most army murder reports use only victims’ call signs, making it nearly impossible to link published obituaries with specific incidents.

Nevertheless, we continue investigating these killings. One such case from November 2023 involved the repair company of the 1st Tank battalion, 17th Tank regiment. According to investigators, Corporal Nikita Posmetukhov shot four fellow servicemen, including Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Klyukin. Though numerous Telegram channels shared the incident order signed by “Dnieper” group commander Mikhail Teplinsky, independent verification of all four deaths took nearly a year.

What we know about losses

Here’s how the losses are distributed across Russian regions. These are absolute numbers, not adjusted for population or number of military units.

On the map, you can choose between total losses and losses by military branch, as well as see where the deceased mobilised soldiers were from.

In most cases, from death reports or indirect signs (uniform or sleeve patches in photos), it’s possible to determine which branch of the military the deceased served in, or how they joined the army (mobilised, volunteer, prisoner, etc.)

We compared these groups of servicemen on a separate graph.

From early summer, volunteers bore the brunt of the losses, which is strikingly different from the situation in the initial stage of the war: in winter and early spring, the Airborne Forces suffered the greatest damage, followed by the Motorised Rifle troops.

By the end of 2022 and the beginning of the next year, losses among prisoners recruited into the Wagner PMC increased markedly. They were formed into “assault groups” to overwhelm Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut.

By March 2023, prisoners became the largest category of war losses. After the capture of Bakhmut, there have been no cases of mass use of prisoners so far.

By September 2024, volunteers once again emerged as the largest category among the KIA. This shift reflects a cumulative effect: prison recruitment had significantly waned, no new mobilisation had been announced, yet the stream of volunteers continued unabated.

By October 25, the death of over 4,300 officers of the Russian army and other security structures had been confirmed.

Officers killed in Ukraine

To date, reports of the deaths of two deputy army commanders have been officially confirmed—Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky of the 41st Army and Major General Vladimir Frolov of the 8th Army.

On May 22, 2022, fighter pilot, 63-year-old retired Major General Kanamat Botashev died; most likely, he went to war as a volunteer. The deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Andrei Paliy, was also killed. On June 5, 2022, the death of Major General Roman Kutuzov was reported.

In June 2023, Major General Sergei Goryachev was killed. He was the chief of staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army and commanded the repulsion of the Ukrainian counterattack in the Zaporizhzhia region.

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

In November 2023, Major General Vladimir Zavadsky was killed. He was the deputy commander of the 14th Army Corps.

The date of death of servicemen is specified in 60,700 reports. The number of losses per day according to this data hardly reflects the real picture, but it allows us to assume on which days the battles were the most intense.

It should always be taken into account that the data of the last few weeks is the most incomplete and may change significantly in the future.

Age is mentioned in 67,200 reports. In the first six months of the war, when the regular army participated in the invasion without volunteers, mobilised soldiers, and prisoners, most deaths were in the 21–23 age group.

Volunteers and mobilised soldiers are significantly older: people voluntarily go to war at 30–35 years or older, and the mobilised are generally over 25.