On Friday, August 19, journalists from the Russian service of the British media company BBC and Mediazon, in collaboration with a team of volunteers, published an update on the number of Russian servicemen who died in the war in Ukraine. On 19 August, 5,701 Russian soldiers were confirmed dead.

Data was collected based on reports from local authorities, the media and victims’ relatives. The heads of Russian regions are less and less likely to speak publicly about the death of the military. According to journalists’ estimates, the list of war victims contains 40-60% fewer names of dead than actually buried in Russia.

Of the 5,701 Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine, 966 (17%) were officers. Most of the losses fell to junior officers. In addition, four Russian generals and 34 colonels were among the dead. At the same time, the last news about the death of the Russian general was in June.

Data on the number of deaths by region

Among Russian regions in terms of number of confirmed victims, Dagestan (270 people), Buryatia (245 people) and Krasnodar Territory (206 people) are still in the lead. At the same time, only 14 deaths are known from Moscow, although the capital represents almost nine percent of the population of the Russian Federation.

In terms of the number of absolute losses, infantrymen and paratroopers are in first place. The biggest increase in casualties has been among what Russian authorities call volunteers. The death of 66 military pilots is also known.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation last reported on the number of Russian military personnel killed on March 25. It was then claimed that 1,351 Russian servicemen were killed. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine estimates the number of unrecoverable losses of Russian troops at more than 44,000 people. According to the US Department of Defense, in early August, Russia lost between 70,000 and 80,000 soldiers dead and wounded in Ukraine.