War in Ukraine: Media claim to have identified 45 thousand Russian soldiers killed in battle

The independent estimate may be underestimated. Russian website Mediazona and the BBC Russian service said that in a joint investigation published on Wednesday they had identified some 45,000 Russian soldiers killed since the invasion of Ukraine began two years ago.

The count, which runs from February 24, 2022 to February 20, 2024, is not intended to be exhaustive, but two media outlets claim to have identified 45,123 Russian soldiers killed using publicly available sources such as death notices, local press releases authorities. , obituaries published in the media or on social networks.

Military losses in Russia are kept secret, as in Ukraine. And the media note that the real losses are, of course, much heavier. It could be twice as high, the BBC Russian Service suggests.

Mobilized, volunteers or prisoners

According to this source, “two thirds of those killed had nothing to do with the army before the invasion.” Thus, these are mobilized soldiers, volunteers, fighters of private military companies or prisoners who joined combat units in exchange for an amnesty.

The last official Russian report is dated September 2022, when Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu admitted the deaths of 5,937 Russian soldiers.

Last August, the New York Times, citing American officials, estimated Russian military losses at 120,000 killed. On January 29, in a written response to the parliamentarian, British Defense Minister James Heappie estimated Russia’s losses at more than 350 thousand killed and wounded.

In 2023, the BBC Russian service reported that it had seen Russian military casualties rise weekly since last October, when Moscow forces launched a major offensive to capture Avdeevka, a town captured last week after four months of fighting.