Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 75,382 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Since Mediazona's last update in mid-October, the names of 2,483 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.
The last few weeks, amid ongoing battles in Ukraine's eastern oblasts as well as in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Russian forces have experienced some of its heaviest losses since the start of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces on Oct. 25 reported 1,630 Russian casualties in the previous day marking Russia's second deadliest day since the start of full-scale war. The numbers surpassed the previous second-highest tally of 1,530, which was set a week prior.
The bloodiest day for Moscow's forces was on May 13, when they suffered a reported 1,740 casualties.
According to some experts, the surge in losses in recent months may be one of the factors behind the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, which reportedly began fighting alongside Russian forces in limited numbers on Oct. 29.
Since Russia began its all-out war against Ukraine over 4,200 officers have been killed in combat in Ukraine. The analysts also note that at least 14,095 Russian convicts have been killed on Ukraine's eastern front.
According to Mediazona's estimates, a majority of those killed in action come from Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Bashkiria, and Chelyabinsk oblasts, as well as the Buryatia republic. A surge of recruitment by the Kremlin in the predominantly Muslim regions of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan have also showed an increase in those killed in action in recent months.
As of Oct. 29, 2024, the Ukrainian military estimates Russian combat losses at 692,080 troops.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
