The Kyiv Independent Live in London: 
Over 258,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation
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Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 258,989 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.
More than 10,000 names were added to the list in less than two weeks, roughly double the usual rate, according to Mediazona. The outlet said the increase was largely due to a leaked list of bodies exchanged between Russia and Ukraine, with names added only after their identities could be independently confirmed through official registries.
The journalists note that the actual number of deaths is 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.
As of Sept. 21, Mediazona had confirmed the deaths of 7,692 officers of the Russian military and other security agencies. The list also includes around 20,500 mobilized soldiers, though Mediazona said that figure is a significant underestimate because recruitment details are increasingly omitted from recent obituaries.
The date of death is known in 241,600 cases. Mediazona cautioned that data for the most recent months remains incomplete and is likely to change as additional deaths are verified.
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the reporting.
The latest update comes as Russia continues to suffer heavy battlefield casualties in Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 27 that Ukrainian forces had killed or wounded 10,660 Russian troops over the previous week, citing a report from Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. The losses came as Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in the Lyman sector of Donetsk Oblast.
Ukraine's General Staff estimated on Sept. 27 that Russia had suffered 1,528,970 personnel losses since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The figure does not distinguish between troops killed, wounded, missing, or captured.
Casualty estimates vary widely, and neither Russia nor Ukraine publishes comprehensive independently verifiable figures for military losses.
