BBC: Over 90,000 Russian casualties identified in the war, with one in four volunteers

Journalists and volunteers have identified 90,019 Russian soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine since the full-scale invasion. Of these, 23% enlisted after the fighting began.

Source: BBC News Russian together with Mediazone media

Quote: "For comparison, by November 2023, volunteers made up just 14% of total casualties. The average age of those killed in 2024, based on updated data, was 36 – higher than in the first two years of the war."

Details: Active recruitment campaigns for volunteers to join the Russian military are ongoing across various regions in 2025. The government is offering additional payments of up to RUB 2 million (US$20,000) on average in exchange for participating in the war against Ukraine. This week, journalists reported that payments have been increased in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Republic of Mari El and Primorsky Krai.

As of 24 January 2025, the highest number of casualties among Russian citizens fighting against Ukraine was recorded in the Republic of Bashkortostan, with 3,932 deaths.

Quote from BBC News Russian: "The real number of casualties is likely higher – this figure only includes those whose names we have been able to verify through open sources."

Research by journalists reveals that more than half of the Russian soldiers killed had no prior military experience before the war. Among the identified losses, 17% were prisoners who chose to participate in combat rather than serve their sentences. Another 12% were conscripted. 

Mercenaries from private military companies make up one of the smallest categories of casualties. Meanwhile, among regular military personnel – who account for 17% of the 90,019 identified deaths—the highest losses were suffered by motorised rifle troops (5,931 dead) and airborne forces (3,223 dead).

Quote: "Real losses are clearly much higher than what can be determined from open sources. Military experts we consulted suggest that our analysis of Russian cemeteries, war memorials, and obituaries may cover between 45% and 65% of the actual death toll... The total number of casualties among pro-Russian forces may range from 159,500 to 223,500 military personnel," the report concludes.

Background: 

• In September, the then US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed that the Ukrainian government was covering up the number of people being killed in the war, although he did not explain why he believed Kyiv was doing this.
• The New York Times reported that Russia continues to suffer great losses in its war of aggression against Ukraine, with the number of killed and wounded soldiers in October being the highest since the start of the full-scale invasion. However, in the first half of 2024, Russia managed to mobilise approximately 900 people daily.
• On 24 January, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian army lost 1,500 soldiers killed and wounded in just one day.

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