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The Russian Army in Ukraine Has Started Losing 300 People Killed Per Day
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Russian army fatalities have surged to an average of 300 soldiers killed every day during the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to research by Janis Kluge of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, which analyzed regional budget data regarding compensation payments for fallen soldiers, Russian forces are losing approximately 9,000 troops per month in 2026, as reported by The Moscow Times on June 9.
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This figure marks a significant escalation from early 2024, when losses were estimated at roughly 4,000 per month, with peaks of over 12,000 deaths recorded in August and December of last year.
Data from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies indicates that the total number of Russian casualties, including those wounded, reached 1.198 million at the start of 2026.
This total includes up to 325,000 fatalities, a number comparable to the entire population of cities like Smolensk, Belgorod, or Chita. Over the course of four years, Russia’s losses have surpassed those of the Soviet war in Afghanistan by 17 times, the two Chechen wars by 11 times, and all other conflicts involving the USSR or Russia since 1945 by 5 times.
These mounting losses have yielded minimal strategic progress. Over the last two years, Russian forces seized roughly 8,400 square kilometers of additional territory, amounting to gains of 0.6% in 2024 and 0.8% in 2025.
Recent assessments from the Institute for the Study of War show that in 2026, the Russian army began losing ground, retreating from 116 square kilometers in April and 281.1 square kilometers in May. Experts attribute this shift in part to the "drone wall" established by Ukrainian forces along the front line.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian losses on the front line since the beginning of 2026 had reached 145,000 personnel, which included nearly 86,000 killed, at least 59,000 seriously wounded, and more than 800 captured.
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