Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia has lost almost 1.5 million soldiers on the battlefield since President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of their smaller neighbor in February 2022.
The casualty report, released Friday, includes both killed and wounded Russian troops. Ukrainian officials said it also includes 1,440 casualties that Russian forces sustained Thursday.
“No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II,” according to a Feb. 26 analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Kremlin has also lost 12,325 tanks, 25,272 armored personnel carriers, 49,152 artillery systems, 2,088 multiple launch rocket systems and 1,604 air defense systems. Russian losses also include 441 aircraft, 355 helicopters, 35 warships and two submarines.
Officials in Kyiv have not released an account of its own losses since the war began, citing operational security. Some international analysts estimate that between 500,000 and 600,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded since the war began.
In February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told French television that at least 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed on the battlefield since the invasion began. It was a rare public comment on Ukraine’s battlefield losses.
Nearly five years into the war, Russia is struggling to find enough soldiers to fill its rapidly depleting ranks in Ukraine. Analysts say voluntary recruitment through Russia and occupied Ukraine has slowed down significantly, despite sign-up bonuses climbing well above $21,000.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.