BBC and Mediazona confirm 10,000 Russian soldiers dead in Ukraine

The BBC’s Russian Service, Mediazona, and volunteers working with open source data have confirmed that, as of December 9, 10,002 Russian service members have been killed in Ukraine.

Among the dead are 430 mobilized soldiers, 104 more than the total from two weeks ago, notes the BBC. Journalists found that 394 mobilized soldiers were killed on Ukrainian territory. Another 36 died in Russia, before they were sent to the front.

The highest number of confirmed losses, according to journalists, come from the Krasnodar region (428 people). However, writes BBC, 40 percent of these losses were never reported in traditional or social media. The deaths were discovered by studying burials in local cemeteries.

The region with the second-highest number of dead is Dagestan (363 people), followed by Buryatia (356 people). There are 54 known dead from Moscow.

In terms of branches of service, motorized riflemen (1,738 people) and paratroopers (1,375 people) continue to bear the heaviest losses. There is no information about where an additional 2,441 dead served. 1,175 dead were confirmed among volunteers.

BBC notes that, by the most conservative estimates, the real number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine may exceed 20,000, and the total number of irretrievable losses could be as high as 90,000.

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• In September, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed since the start of the war. The General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces believes that as of the morning of December 9, Russian losses reach 93,390 people.
• US Joint Chiefs Chair General Mark Milley said in early November that Russian casualties were “well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded.” He thinks the Ukrainian side has lost as similar number.
• In late November, publication Important Stories reported that Russian authorities expect 100,000 killed and wounded by spring among mobilized soldiers alone. According to Meduza’s sources, they will be replaced by conscripts.