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War in Ukraine

Russia Bleeds 1.5 Million Troops in Ukraine—100 Times the Soviet Toll in Afghanistan

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Photo of Ivan Khomenko
Ivan Khomenko
News Writer
A woman grieves at the grave of her son, a Russian soldier killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine, in Yefremov, Russia, March 23, 2023. (Source: Getty Images)
A woman grieves at the grave of her son, a Russian soldier killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine, in Yefremov, Russia, March 23, 2023. (Source: Getty Images)

Russia’s military personnel losses since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine have surpassed 1.5 million killed and wounded, according to figures released by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on September 9.

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The General Staff said Russian forces lost another 1,480 personnel on September 8, bringing Ukraine’s estimate of total Russian personnel losses since February 2022 to 1,500,870.

Infographic comparing Russian military personnel losses in Ukraine with losses in the First and Second Chechen Wars. (Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)
Infographic comparing Russian military personnel losses in Ukraine with losses in the First and Second Chechen Wars. (Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

“This is the largest loss in a single war suffered by the Russian army since World War II,” the General Staff said, adding that the figure exceeds the combined losses of the Soviet and Russian armies in all wars and armed conflicts of the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries.

“This is 100 times greater than the Soviet Union’s losses in Afghanistan over 10 years,” the General Staff said. Ukraine’s military also said the estimated losses are 125 times higher than the officially acknowledged Russian losses in the First and Second Chechen wars.

The 1.5 million figure represents cumulative battlefield personnel losses reported by Ukraine and includes both Russian troops killed and wounded. Moscow does not publish comprehensive figures that can be directly compared with Ukraine’s running estimate, and the total cannot be independently verified in real time.

Ukraine has published daily estimates of Russian personnel and equipment losses throughout the full-scale invasion, updating its figures as new battlefield information becomes available.

Meanwhile, Russia is preparing to mobilize up to 600,000 additional troops through 2027, according to Ukrainian military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko. He said Moscow is currently able primarily to replace battlefield losses, while additional manpower would be needed to expand offensive operations in Ukraine.

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