Mediazona, in collaboration with BBC Russia, has shed light on the toll of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, confirming the identities of 44,654 Russian soldiers who have lost their lives since the conflict's onset in February 2022.
An additional 1,194 names have been identified since their last report in early February.
However, the journalists believe the actual death toll is likely much higher, based on obituaries, social media posts by grieving relatives, local news, and announcements from local government officials.
In the past two weeks, 15 military personnel with ranks from Lieutenant Colonel and higher have been added to the list.
Since Russia began its all-out war against Ukraine, over 3,100 officers, with 379 holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or higher have been killed in combat in Ukraine.
In contrast, there have been nearly 5,354 casualties among newly recruited Russian soldiers.
A majority of those killed in action come from Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Bashkiria, Chelyabinsk, as well as the Buryatia republic.
Total estimates of Russia's casualties since the full-scale invasion vary widely.
Senior U.S. defense officials estimate that about 315,000 Russian troops had either been killed or injured so far in the war.
As of Feb. 18, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces says that Russia lost 402,430 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
