Over 90,000 Russian soldiers confirmed killed in Ukraine war, BBC and Mediazona report

An ongoing joint investigation by the BBC Russian Service and independent publication Mediazona has confirmed the names of 90,019 Russian soldiers killed during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The investigators use open source data, meaning the actual death toll is significantly higher. Military experts estimate that the confirmed figure accounts for between 45% and 65% of the Russian army’s total losses, putting the true number of Russian troops killed at 138,500-200,000.

According to the BBC Russian Service, more than half of the deceased were not affiliated with the Russian military or the National Guard at the start of the war in Ukraine. Nearly a quarter of the casualties (23%) were individuals who signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense after the invasion began in February 2022. Another 17% were prisoners, and 12% were mobilized troops.

Only 17% of those killed were professional soldiers who were already serving in the military as of the onset of the full-scale war.

The journalists report that the average age of those killed in 2024 was 36 years old, which is higher than in the first two years of the war.

The highest number of fatalities has been recorded among individuals from the Republic of Bashkortostan, the homeland of the Bashkir people located near the Ural Mountains. Reports from local authorities, regional media outlets, and social media have confirmed the deaths of at least 3,932 residents from the region.