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1 in 25 Russian Men Killed or Maimed Since Invasion Began, Investigation Shows
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A massive data analysis has confirmed the identities of over 200,000 Russian soldiers killed during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
While 2025 saw intensive diplomatic activity, it simultaneously became the deadliest year for the Russian army, with casualty rates significantly outpacing previous years.
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According to a joint investigation by the BBC and Mediazona published on February 24, at least 200,186 Russian military personnel have been identified as dead through open-source records.
The data reveals that 57% of those killed—including mercenaries, mobilized citizens, and prisoners—had no military affiliation prior to the February 2022 invasion.
The scale of the war has escalated sharply over the last 12 months. According to data from the investigative outlet Agenstvo, the invasion of Ukraine has become the deadliest war for Russia since World War II. Current estimates suggest that one in every 25 Russian men aged 18 to 49 has been either killed or severely wounded on the battlefield.
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Despite these heavy losses, Russian territorial gains remained marginal, with the military capturing less than 1% of Ukrainian territory throughout the year.
The investigation highlights that the Russian command is increasingly filling gaps in the front line with “irregular” troops who receive almost no preparation.
Findings by the BBC show that the average age of a killed mercenaries is now 43, with many being sent into high-intensity assault operations just three to five days after signing their contracts.
Social and economic factors play a decisive role in recruitment. Analysts point out that residents of small towns and impoverished villages are most likely to sign contracts due to the lack of stable employment and the slowing of the Russian economy.
This has created a vast disparity in the “visibility” of the war; in regions like Tuva and Buryatia, the death rate per capita is up to 33 times higher than in Moscow.
While the identified death toll stands at 200,186, experts agree that the real number is substantially higher. Analysis by Agenstvo suggests that total Russian casualties—including the dead, wounded, and missing—have reached approximately 1.2 to 1.4 million people. This figure is 17 times higher than the Soviet Union’s total losses during the decade-long war in Afghanistan.
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Research by the BBC indicates that their confirmed list likely covers only 45% to 65% of the actual fatalities, as many bodies remain unrecovered on the battlefield. When factoring in missing personnel and those from proxy forces in occupied territories, the total number of pro-Russian forces killed since 2022 is estimated to be between 329,000 and 468,500.
Earlier, UK Defense Secretary John Healey said Russia is losing more troops than it can replace and is increasingly recruiting foreigners, including citizens of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Cuba, Nigeria, and Senegal, according to Bloomberg on February 16. He added that about 17,000 North Korean troops are currently fighting alongside Russian forces.
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-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
