At least 9,311 Russian soldiers have died since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine nine months ago, according to an independent newspaper. Investigation Conducted jointly by the BBC Russian Service and independent Russian news outlets Media Zona.
The BBC said the death toll, released by the BBC on Friday, includes only those officially confirmed, meaning the true number of Russia’s casualties in the conflict so far could be twice as high.
The BBC said the number of Russia’s irreversible losses, a figure that includes the seriously wounded and missing, could reach 100,000.
Among those included in the BBC’s count are 326 men who were called up during Russia’s latest mobilization. At least 35 of them died before they were deployed to the front lines, the report said, “most often from heart problems, accidents or alcohol abuse.”
The Russian army reportedly suffered heavy losses among its high command. Army officers make up more than 15% of the total death toll, while the number also includes four generals, 47 colonels and 101 military pilots.
The infantry and airborne forces suffered the most casualties since the start of the war, closely followed by the so-called Volunteer Battalions—territorial militia made up of civilian volunteers—which collectively lost up to 1,050 soldiers.
The investigation showed that the largest number of dead soldiers came from the Krasnodar region in southern Russia, followed by the Siberian Republic of Buryatia and the North Caucasian Republic of Dagestan.
By contrast, Moscow, home to roughly 9% of the country’s population, lost only 50% of its population in the war, or just 0.5% of the total.
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