Report Estimates 95,000 Russian Troop Deaths in Ukraine; Kremlin Silent

A report by independent Russian news outlet Mediazona and the BBC’s Russian Service estimates that over 95,000 Russian soldiers have died in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has declined to comment on the report, which was released on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Mediazona’s report, published on Monday, utilized open-source data, including social media, news reports, and obituaries, to compile a list of confirmed Russian soldier deaths.

The data was presented in an infographic featuring thousands of soldiers’ photos arranged to resemble Vasily Vereshchagin’s 1871 painting, “The Apotheosis of War,” which depicts a pile of skulls.

Each entry in the online list (200.zona.media) includes details such as the soldier’s age, date of death, region, unit, and, in some cases, a photograph.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that he was unaware of the report and did not confirm or deny the estimated death toll. He emphasized that casualty figures are “the exclusive prerogative” of the defense ministry.

Russia has rarely disclosed casualty figures, with the defense ministry’s last official count, released in September 2022, reporting 5,937 soldier deaths.

Conflicting estimates exist regarding casualties on both sides of the conflict. Former US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin estimated 700,000 Russian casualties (killed or wounded) by the end of 2024.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported over 46,000 Ukrainian soldier deaths and 380,000 wounded, while independent Ukrainian war correspondent Yuri Butusov provided alternative estimates.