Camilla Jessen
Mediazona has confirmed the identities of 104,763 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.
An investigation by Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in partnership with the BBC’s Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 104,763 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
The data, published on April 24, 2025, reflects confirmed deaths based on publicly accessible sources, including social media posts, local media coverage, and official notices from regional governments.
Due to the Kremlin’s ongoing refusal to release official casualty figures, the true number of Russian war dead is likely significantly higher, the report noted.
Since mid-April alone, an additional 2,880 deaths have been verified.
Breakdown of Russian Losses
According to the latest data:
- 25,900 of the confirmed deaths were volunteer fighters
- 16,500 were prisoners recruited from Russian penal colonies
- 11,900 were mobilized reservists
- 4,900 were military officers
This is the first time the full list of names has been made publicly available. Mediazona released the database in February 2025, to mark the third anniversary of the invasion.
On February 24, Mediazona and independent outlet Meduza jointly estimated that 165,000 Russian troops had been killed since the war began, with nearly 100,000 of those deaths occurring in 2024 alone—a year marked by heavy fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Competing Estimates
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia’s total military losses may be far higher. In a speech on February 15, he estimated 250,000 Russian fatalities, including 20,000 troops reportedly killed in the ongoing battles for Russia’s own Kursk region.
The region has seen increasing intensity in recent months, including the deployment of foreign fighters.
On April 30, Reuters cited South Korean intelligence officials who claimed that around 600 North Korean soldiers had been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk.
Russia has not publicly acknowledged any North Korean presence or casualties in the war.