97,994 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation
The BBC and the independent outlet Mediazona have identified the names of 97,994 Russian soldiers who have been killed during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since the media outlets' last update in late-February, the names of 2,000 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.
The journalists note that the actual figures are likely significantly higher, as their verified information comes from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities. An additional 10,000 reports of Russian casualties are currently being sifted through, the journalists said.
The confirmed death toll now includes 23,700 volunteers, 16,000 recruited prisoners, and 11,200 mobilized soldiers, according to the media outlets. Over 4,800 officers have also been confirmed to have been killed.
On Feb. 24 independent Russian media outlets Meduza and Mediazona estimated in a report that around 165,000 Russian troops have been killed since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including nearly 100,000 in 2024.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Feb. 15 that Moscow had lost around 250,000 soldiers, with 20,000 killed in battles for Russia's Kursk Oblast alone.
Russia has gained ground in eastern Ukraine and Kursk Oblast in recent months but at the cost of heavy casualties as well as equipment losses.
Moscow does not disclose its casualty figures, though a Defense Ministry official let slip in December that the department received 48,000 requests to identify missing soldiers.
In an interview with NBC published on Feb. 16, Zelensky said over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 380,000 injured on the battlefield.
As of Feb. 17, Russia has lost a total of 900,800 troops since the full-scale invasion began, Ukraine's General Staff reported. The estimate, which is broadly in-line with estimates made by Western intelligence agencies, likely includes those killed, captured, wounded, and missing.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
