Overview
- Exiled outlets Meduza and Mediazona reported about 352,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine through the end of 2025.
- The groups extrapolated from nearly 218,000 named deaths using probate files and excess male mortality to reach the higher total.
- The tally leaves out deaths in 2026 and many foreign or militia fighters from occupied Ukrainian territories.
- The estimate lines up with a January CSIS high-end figure and Russia’s curbs on public records still block full verification.
- The war’s strain shows on Ukraine’s side too, as the military ombudsman says troops kept on the line for more than 40 days grow apathetic and stop caring whether they survive.