Mediazona names at least 350 Russian conscripts killed in Ukraine despite official Kremlin policy against sending them into combat

Mediazona, a Russian news outlet, has compiled a list of at least 350 Russian conscripts who have lost their lives during the war in Ukraine. This information was gathered by the outlet, BBC News Russian, and volunteers who monitor Russian losses using publicly available sources since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Officially, Russia does not send conscripts to combat zones; however, conscripts have been participating in the conflict, leading the Defense Ministry to promise to return them to Russia. Despite this, conscripts continue to die, either in border skirmishes or due to Ukrainian shelling.

Mediazona also has records of nearly 700 individuals who signed military contracts during their compulsory service. It is uncertain if these individuals did so willingly, as conscripts are often forced into signing contracts through deception or violence. In some cases, Russian authorities employ various tactics to recruit new army members, including threats of deployment if they fail to steal, followed by threats of imprisonment after being charged.

The outlet emphasizes that forging military contracts is a common practice by Russian authorities, with one 20-year-old conscript's signature confirmed as forged through forensic analysis.