Hacked Records Show 400,000 Russians Killed in War on Ukraine

According to confidential data obtained by the Belarusian pro-opposition group Cyber Partisans and Ukrainian hacker operation Silent Crow, almost 400,000 Russians have died in the war against Ukraine since the invasion began almost five years ago. The information comes from over 11 million death certificates containing details such as residence, age, and places of death.

The data, which was shared with Bloomberg News and a small group of other outlets, specifically links the fatalities to the war using coding or mentioning terms like "military operation," "shelling," or "drones."

President Vladimir Putin has tried to avoid acknowledging the number of Russian fatalities, calling them a state secret since 2015. However, the data set likely underestimates the total number of deaths due to challenges in recording combat fatalities, including missing people, unidentified bodies, and injuries that are not explicitly recorded. Silent Crow estimates the figure at around 450,000, accounting for non-combat fatalities and records without an explicit cause.

Rosstat, Russia's statistics agency, did not respond to a request for comment on the data. The report provides a rare insight into the true cost of the war for Russia, showing a significant increase in casualties as Russian forces faced difficulties in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv's defensive operations became more effective. The fighting has been particularly challenging for Russians this year, with fewer territorial gains and increasing casualties, including a record 54,000 troops killed or wounded in October.

The war has also heavily impacted Russian society, with younger generations filling the ranks and poorer, more remote, and ethnically diverse regions bearing a heavier toll. With no significant progress on the battlefield, Russia has resorted to bombing Ukrainian cities and infrastructure to break Kyiv's morale and has been attempting to negotiate a potential ceasefire with the US.