The number of Russian troops lost in Ukraine has exceeded those prepared for the large-scale invasion of February 2022, according to Hotnews.
Surpasses World War II
These casualties also surpass the combined losses Russia has faced in military conflicts since World War II, including invasions of Czechoslovakia, engagements in Africa and Asia, the war in Afghanistan, and the invasion of Georgia.
On July 5, independent Russian media outlets Meduza and Mediazona reported that approximately 120,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the invasion.
The Ukrainian General Staff estimates that Russian military personnel losses exceeded 500,000 by the end of May, including both fatalities and injuries.
The Economist notes that for every Russian soldier killed in action, there are about three to four wounded, with significant losses among those aged 35 to 39, where up to 27,000 have been killed.
Despite these heavy losses, Russia continues to recruit between 25,000 and 30,000 new soldiers each month, as reported by the New York Times, citing U.S. officials.
This recruitment rate is sufficient to replenish the troops and sustain the Russian military's human wave attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that around 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, marking the only public address regarding Ukrainian military casualties since the invasion began.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in severe impacts on both sides, with recent estimates suggesting that about 2% of all Russian men aged 20 to 50 have been either killed or severely wounded since the war began.
