Rising toll: Confirmed deaths of Russian soldiers surpass 90,000

As highlighted by the BBC, Moscow rarely comments on its losses in this so-called special military operation. However, data gathered by volunteers suggests that there have been deaths of 15,300 prisoners, 20,600 volunteers, 15,600 contract soldiers, 10,500 mobilised personnel, and 2,400 mercenaries.

The average age of those killed last year was 36 years, which is older than in the initial two years of the war. Most of the deceased hailed from the republics of Bashkortostan (3,932) and Tatarstan (3,804). The BBC reports that among those killed from Bashkortostan, eight out of ten were from small towns or villages with fewer than 100,000 residents.

Since October 2023, there has been an increase in losses among volunteers and a decrease in deaths among prisoners. The BBC indicates that this is because authorities are sending those accused before their trial is concluded to the front, allowing them to be counted as volunteers.

It is estimated that the verified numbers represent only half of the actual number of casualties. This suggests that in reality, between 135,000 and 200,000 Russian soldiers have died.

These figures do not include soldiers who died in units of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. According to research conducted on obituaries and reports of missing persons by the portal, by the end of September last year, between 21,000 and 23,500 individuals from this group might have perished. "Therefore, it can be assumed that the total number of casualties on the Russian side ranges from 159,500 to 223,500 soldiers," the BBC summarised.

Western and Ukrainian intelligence agencies estimated in October last year that the total number of Russian losses, including the missing and wounded, was between 600,000 and 700,000 individuals. Critics view these figures as exaggerated, as noted by "The Moscow Times."