Over 242,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation

According to a media investigation by Russian independent outlet Mediazona and the BBC Russian service, over 242,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. The latest tally, as of August 27, 2026, now includes 242,747 confirmed military deaths. Since the previous update in mid-August, an additional 3,393 Russian soldiers have been added to the casualty list.

The death toll comprises over 88,600 volunteers, 26,600 mobilized prisoners, and 20,000 soldiers. Officers account for 7,596 of the confirmed fatalities. In 225,000 cases, the date of death is known, accounting for nearly 93% of the verified casualties. The verified information primarily comes from public sources like obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities.

Mediazona notes that the actual death count is likely significantly higher due to the limitations of public sources. The Russian figures do not differentiate between killed, wounded, missing, or captured personnel. Western intelligence suggests that Russia's Armed Forces has fallen short of its recruitment target of 30,000 soldiers per month since 2022, leading the Kremlin to consider additional mobilization rounds.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky previously estimated that Russian forces have suffered around 1.6 million military casualties since the invasion began, including approximately 700,000 killed. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces estimates Russia has lost around 1,486,600 troops in Ukraine since February 2022, though the figures do not specify killed or wounded individuals.