Over 248,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation

Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 248,844 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.

Since Mediazona last updated the figures in late August 2026, the names of 6,097 Russian soldiers were added to the list of those killed. The latest count covers confirmed military deaths from Feb. 24, 2022, through Sept. 10, 2026.

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 confirmed death toll now includes over 80,679 volunteers in the Russian military, 88,600 volunteers, 26,979 recruited prisoners, and 20,350 mobilized soldiers, according to the media outlets. A total of 7,656 officers have also been confirmed to have been killed.

According to the outlets, the date of death is known in 231,300 cases, accounting for nearly 93% of confirmed casualties.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the reporting.

While casualty estimates have varied, independent Western assessments have consistently concluded that Russian losses significantly exceed Ukrainian casualties.

On Sept. 13, Ukraine's General Staff reported that Russian casualties, meaning killed, captured, wounded, or missing, stood at 1,506,900 since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Reports from British intelligence officials on Sept. 11 estimated that 500,000 Russian troops have been killed so far in Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine.

According to Western intelligence, throughout 2026, Russia's Armed Forces has fallen short of reaching its recruitment target of 30,000 soldiers per month, losing more soldiers than they are recruiting on a monthly bases

To secure more men to fight, Russia has increasing sought to exploit or deceive foreign nationals to enlist in its armed forces against Ukraine. In many cases, these practices amount to human trafficking, the human rights organization Amnesty International said in a report published Sept. 10.

A June 2026 CSIS report said Ukraine has likely suffered between 525,000 and 625,000 casualties from February 2022 to June 2026, of which and 125,000 and 150,000 are thought to be killed in action.

As Mediazona continues to compile and maintain a list of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, the Kremlin added Mediazona to its "foreign agents" list for a second time, the outlet reported on Aug. 21.