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Nearly 2,000 Residents of Temporarily Occupied Crimea Killed While Fighting for Russian Forces
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At least 2,000 servicemen from temporarily occupied Crimea fighting in the Russian forces have been killed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine,, according to an investigation by the “Cargo 200” project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Crimea.Realities on April 27.
Journalists verified 2,000 obituaries of Crimean residents who fought as part of the Russian army. The highest number of reported deaths came from Sevastopol, with 520 individuals, followed by the Kerch district with 225. Most of the deaths were recorded in the Donetsk region.
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Analysts also noted a shift in recruitment patterns, with a sharp decline in the number of volunteers from Crimea. While up to 70 such obituaries were recorded annually in 2023 and 2024, only 28 were documented in 2025.
At the same time, the proportion of ex-inmates among the dead has increased, now accounting for at least 10% of all verified losses.
The breakdown of confirmed fatalities by status includes 486 contract soldiers, 235 regular Russian military personnel, 201 ex-inmates, 199 volunteers, 118 mobilized individuals, and 12 conscripts.
A significant share of those killed were between 40 and 50 years old, with roughly a quarter born in the 1960s and 1970s.
Among military units, the 810th Separate Marine Brigade based in Sevastopol sustained the heaviest losses, with 311 confirmed deaths. In recent months, however, Crimean personnel have increasingly been killed while serving in units stationed outside the peninsula.
The highest number of recorded deaths occurred in 2024, with 601 obituaries, followed by 2025 with 582. Researchers underlined that the figures are not comprehensive, as Russia conceals its actual losses and many servicemen remain listed as missing for extended periods.
The findings come amid broader assessments pointing to mounting Russian losses on the battlefield. According to Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Russia has sustained significantly higher casualties than Ukraine in recent months, with losses estimated to be several times greater.
Speaking as cited by Clash Report on April 27, Stubb said Ukrainian forces have been inflicting heavy damage, particularly through the expanded use of drone warfare.
“How much better is Ukraine today compared to a year ago? In the past four months—and sorry for being morbid—Ukraine has killed or wounded between 30 to 35,000 Russian soldiers per month,” he said.
He added that the current casualty ratio stands at roughly one Ukrainian soldier killed for every five Russian troops, highlighting what he described as the increasing effectiveness of Ukraine’s battlefield tactics.
Additionally, prevuiously, Russian forces attempted to breach Ukrainian defenses in the Sumy region by advancing through a gas pipeline near the village of Yablunivka, while simultaneously staging a diversionary attack using motorcycles.
The attempted infiltration resulted in heavy losses for Russian forces. Ukrainian troops reported 35 killed and 17 wounded, as well as the destruction of three motorcycles and four all-terrain vehicles used in the assault.
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