About our reports
This publication is divided into two parts:
Bi-weekly Summary. A text summary, updated every two weeks. Here we report what we’ve learned about the losses during this time and the events at the front that led to the deaths of Russian soldiers.
Interactive Infographics. The second part showcases visual representations of losses since the beginning of the war: for example, where the deceased served or in which regions they lived. We update the data for this part; the text descriptions are updated but largely remain the same.
For a detailed description of our method for calculating the estimated number of losses based on the Probate Registry data, please follow the link.
Last update of the named list: March 28, 2025
Last update of the Probate Registry estimate: February 24, 2025; estimate as of December 2024
Full named list of verified losses is available here: 200.zona.media.
The number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine—those whose names we were able to confirm—has now surpassed 100,000.
Even according to our methodology, this figure is far from complete: volunteers have compiled over 10,000 obituaries that are still awaiting verification by our team. However, not all of these are unique, and these two numbers cannot simply be added together, as some records contain duplicate information.
Since we made the full named list public a month ago, we have received thousands of comments pointing out corrections and errors, and thanks to our readers, we have been able to rectify many inaccuracies in our database. For example, more than 100 duplicate entries were removed, and in many cases key details like dates of birth and death have been clarified.
Beyond the state’s suppression of casualty numbers, Mediazona also faces deliberate disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining its work. Both state-affiliated actors and online trolls have attempted to “poison” our database by inserting fabricated obituaries, hoping to discredit the project by making it seem unreliable or easily manipulated.
Despite these efforts, our verification process has proven highly effective. Since publishing the full list, we have identified only one blatantly fabricated obituary.
Here are some of the most audacious fake obituaries we have encountered over the last three years.
In 2023, a post from the Bryansk region reported the death of a supposed writer, “Oleg Byldaev” from Dyatkovo. According to the obituary, he had been participating in the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine when he was killed in action. It included a brief tribute: “A decent and good man.”
However, the accompanying photo was not of a Russian writer at all but of Varg Vikernes, the infamous Norwegian-French black metal musician known for Burzum.
This fake obituary claimed the death of “Captain Timofey Eduardovich Khardin,” supposedly killed in battle while “covering his comrades.” The obituary even provided precise dates: “15.09.1977 – 16.06.2022”, which happen to match the actual birthdate of British actor Tom Hardy. The accompanying image was a still from the 2015 mystery thriller Child 44, in which Hardy plays a Soviet officer.
Another fake obituary featured an “Ilya Moskovtsev,” whose image was unmistakably that of Elon Musk, crudely photoshopped into a Russian soldier’s portrait.
Another falsified post mourned the loss of “Junior Lieutenant Rodion Timofeevich Goslov,” call sign “Runner.” The obituary, posted on VK, described a dramatic act of supposed heroism:
“While on patrol near the settlement of Korenevo, he spotted a group of Ukrainian militants approaching residential buildings where civilians were present. Realising the potential tragedy, he loaded his service vehicle with explosives and drove full speed into the enemy unit, pressing the detonator just before the impact. Rodion successfully eliminated the enemy squad but, unfortunately, died too. No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten! 🇷🇺”
The attached photo, however, was an edited image of actor Ryan Gosling, with his face photoshopped onto a balding FSB officer’s headshot.
What we know about losses
Here’s how the losses are distributed across Russian regions. These are absolute numbers, not adjusted for population or number of military units.
On the map, you can choose between total losses and losses by military branch, as well as see where the deceased mobilised soldiers were from.
In most cases, from death reports or indirect signs (uniform or sleeve patches in photos), it’s possible to determine which branch of the military the deceased served in, or how they joined the army (mobilised, volunteer, prisoner, etc.)
We compared these groups of servicemen on a separate graph.
From early summer and into the mid-fall season of 2022, volunteers bore the brunt of the losses, which is strikingly different from the situation in the initial stage of the war: in winter and early spring, the Airborne Forces suffered the greatest damage, followed by the Motorised Rifle troops.
By the end of 2022 and the beginning of the next year, losses among prisoners recruited into the Wagner PMC increased markedly. They were formed into “assault groups” to overwhelm Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut.
By March 2023, prisoners became the largest category of war losses. After the capture of Bakhmut, there have been no cases of mass use of prisoners so far.
By September 2024, volunteers once again emerged as the largest category among the KIA. This shift reflects a cumulative effect: prison recruitment had significantly waned, no new mobilisation had been announced, yet the stream of volunteers continued unabated.
By March 14, the death of nearly 4,850 officers of the Russian army and other security agencies had been confirmed.
The proportion of officer deaths among overall casualties has steadily declined since the conflict began. In the early stages, when professional contract soldiers formed the main invasion force, officers accounted for up to 10% of fatalities. By November 2024, this figure had dropped to between 2–3%—a shift that reflects both evolving combat tactics and the intensive recruitment of volunteer infantry, who suffer casualty rates many times higher than their commanding officers.
Officers killed in Ukraine
To date, reports of the deaths of two deputy army commanders have been officially confirmed—Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky of the 41st Army and Major General Vladimir Frolov of the 8th Army.
On May 22, 2022, fighter pilot, 63-year-old retired Major General Kanamat Botashev died; most likely, he went to war as a volunteer. The deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Andrei Paliy, was also killed. On June 5, 2022, the death of Major General Roman Kutuzov was reported.
In June 2023, Major General Sergei Goryachev was killed. He was the chief of staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army and commanded the repulsion of the Ukrainian counterattack in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In July 2023, the death of the first Lieutenant General was confirmed—Oleg Tsokov, deputy commander of the Southern Military District.
In November 2023, Major General Vladimir Zavadsky was killed. He was the deputy commander of the 14th Army Corps.
In November 2024, Major General Pavlo Klimenko, commander of the 5th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade (former DPR ‘Oplot’ Brigade), died. According to the pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Spy’s Dossier, he was fatally wounded on November 6: Klimenko was attacked by an FPV drone while riding a motorbike between command posts.
The date of death of servicemen is specified in over 79,000 reports. The number of losses per day according to this data hardly reflects the real picture, but it allows us to assume on which days the battles were the most intense.
It should always be taken into account that the data of the last few weeks is the most incomplete and may change significantly in the future.
Age is mentioned in 85,400 reports. In the first six months of the war, when the regular army participated in the invasion without volunteers, mobilised soldiers, and prisoners, most deaths were in the 21–23 age group.
Volunteers and mobilised soldiers are significantly older: people voluntarily go to war at 30–35 years or older, and the mobilised are generally over 25.
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