Journalists and volunteers have identified the names of 80,973 Russian soldiers who died during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as of Nov. 29, according to a joint investigation by BBC Russia and Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet.
Since Mediazona's update in mid-November, the names of 3,830 more Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.
Over half of those killed were not affiliated with the army at the beginning of the war in 2022, meaning they voluntarily signed contracts to fight in Ukraine. Many died in the first two to four weeks after being sent to the front line, the investigation said.
The share of volunteers now accounts for 22% of the total number of confirmed losses in the Russian army. Last year, in November 2023, volunteers accounted for only 14%.
The share of deaths among those sent to the front from prison is on the decline. As of November 2023, they accounted for 26% of all losses, and now only 18%.
The large-scale involvement of convicts at the front allowed the Russian authorities to support the army's offensive potential without causing additional damage to the economy.
"The convicts... were not skilled workers. This distinguishes them, for example, from those mobilized, (and their removal from society) has weakened several sectors of the economy," the investigation said.
According to the investigation, most of the soldiers killed were from Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, and Sverdlovsk Oblast.
As of the morning of Nov. 29, the Russian army had lost about 738,660 soldiers, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Over the past day, Russian losses amounted to 2,030 people.
Chris York
(Updated: )
