Journalists have identified the names of more than 20 thousand Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine

The BBC Russian Service, based on open data, has established the names of 20,451 Russian soldiers who died in the war in Ukraine. According to the publication, the growth rate of losses remains high. Especially many dead are among the troops fighting near Bakhmut. Many conscripts also die.

Over the past two weeks, journalists from the BBC Russian Service and Mediazona have counted 1,820 dead - this is the largest increase in the entire war in Ukraine. A third of the total number of deaths during the entire period of the Russian invasion falls on the mobilized, volunteers and prisoners who joined the Wagner PMC.

The BBC Russian Service suggests that the figure of 20,451 dead is at least half the real number of casualties among the Russian military. According to journalists, since February 2022, the Russian army could have lost at least 41,000 people dead. The total irretrievable losses of Russia, that is, the number of those who were wounded, died or went missing, can leave about 184 thousand people.

The names of many of the dead were identified thanks to the analysis of information from the mass graves of people who could have fought as part of the Wagner PMC. The BBC Russian Service notes that it is aware of seven such cemeteries, where a total of at least 995 people are buried. Many of them were convicts who would now have to serve time in a colony. Since March 2023, the number of confirmed deaths of prisoners has exceeded the losses of other categories of participants in the war.

Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, 1,900 Russian conscripts have died. 60% of them died after January 1, 2023. The journalists also came to the conclusion that Russia is suffering heavy losses among the elite troops. Since the beginning of the war, 3,230 special forces, paratroopers and marines have died. Publications note that millions of dollars were spent on their preparation.

Source: BBC Russian Service

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