More than 15,000 mobilized Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation
Russian independent media outlet Mediazona and the BBC's Russian service reported on Sept. 21 that they have confirmed the identities of 15,000 mobilized Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine.
The analysis shows that 42% of these deaths occurred within the first year after President Vladimir Putin announced Russia's month-long "partial mobilization" in September 2022.
The actual number of losses is likely far higher, the report noted.
Bashkortostan and Tatarstan recorded the highest confirmed number of deaths among mobilized soldiers, at 884 and 861, respectively. Moscow Oblast accounted for 456 deaths, Moscow for 242, while Chechnya recorded the lowest number with just one confirmed death.
At least 1,200 mobilized troops were killed in the first nine months of 2025 alone. Relatives told the BBC that many were coerced into signing contracts under threat of being sent to high-risk assault units.
The average age of the dead soldiers was 35.
Since 2022, Mediazona and the BBC have verified a total of 133,117 Russian military deaths, drawing from public sources including obituaries, social media posts by relatives, regional media reporting, statements from local authorities, and other open sources.
In Russia, contract soldiers are troops who sign service agreements and form the backbone of the military, while mobilized soldiers are civilians called up to reinforce forces during wartime.
Putin's 2022 mobilization, the first in Russia since World War II and prompted by setbacks on the front lines, triggered protests inside the country and prompted over 261,000 Russians to flee abroad.
While the Kremlin later declared mobilization "completed," no presidential decree officially ended it.
Instead of launching a new draft, the Kremlin has leaned on financial incentives and recruitment campaigns, offering lucrative contracts to volunteers.
Ukraine's General Staff puts Russian losses much higher, reporting on Sept. 21 that Russia has lost over 1.1 million troops killed and wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion.
In August, U.S. President Donald Trump said nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers had died in July alone.
