Russia maintains a state secret about the total number of soldiers killed throughout their war in Ukrainewhich is now approaching four years old. Despite the official silence, the rumor of figures is constant. Now, one has revealed an important part of the Russian dead. Specifically, 155,000 soldiers, whose identities and origins have been provided.
According to the investigation, this figure could represent less than half of the estimated Russian deaths in the last three and a half years, with a range that moves between the 260,000 and 368,760 fallen on the different fronts. This group includes the 3,226 casualties recognized in recent days on the front, between November 28 and December 12.
They are, however, estimates of a total that other studies raise above one million deaths on the Russian side. He General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine provides other, broader information, according to the information cited by Ukrinform. The military high command Russians number 1,186,480 troops perished in combat until December 12, 2025.
Among uncertainties, the BBC y Mediazona They provide certainty about at least 155,000 dead Russian soldiers. And independent research indicates that, of them, a third corresponds to volunteers, no less than 50,438.
This is practically double the number of contract soldiers killed in combat and identified, which reach 27,578. In addition, 19,276 were prisoners, another 16,164 were mobilized soldiers and 2,834 belonged to private companies. The remaining 39,078 bodies could not be categorized in the journalistic investigation.
Going deeper into the data, the average age of all these deceased is 38 yearsalthough almost half of the volunteers were between 45 and 55.
Without hospital option: a front of wounded
What a third of the recognized deceased were volunteers It is not just any data. The BBC and Mediazona report highlights the “minimum” training received for these, just several weeks before being taken to the front; in some cases with appeals in a matter of days.
“For Russia, the savings in training time and the reduction of treatment protocols after injury or wound mean greater losses in units made up of volunteers, as well as a series of tactical errors,” the report states.
The problems are felt in the rear, the text continues. Because the high number of casualties causes “shortage of personnel for rotation on the front and overloading the hospital system“. Thus, soldiers “are withdrawn less frequently to the rear, are denied hospitalization, and are ordered to recover while remaining in the ranks.”
British military intelligence even reported an illustrative event. Within the 20th Army, which played a key role in the Russian offensive around Luhansk and Kupyansk, one of the assault detachments was made up of wounded soldiersgiven the impossibility of resorting to soldiers with full powers.
“Dad had three wounds: two in the leg and one in the arm, but He didn’t go to the hospital because there was no one to fight with.“wrote the daughter of Alexander, a volunteer who signed his incorporation at the age of 53. After a couple of months at the front, he died in combat, the journalists add.
Within the high military rank, the journalistic investigation reveals the death of at least 6,205 Russian officers since the beginning of the invasion, including 12 generals, 125 colonels and 450 lieutenant colonels.
