7 days ago
Over 110,000 Russian soldiers killed in war identified, most from poor regions in Siberia
Journalists working with volunteers have identified more than 110,000 Russians who have been killed in the war against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. The data shows an extremely uneven distribution of losses across Russian regions: men from Tyva or Altai are 30-40 times more likely to be killed in the war than residents of Moscow.
Source: BBC in collaboration with Russian news outlet Mediazona
Details: The journalists' research reveals that the highest number of deaths was recorded in Tyva (120), Buryatia (91) and the Altai Republic (89) per 10,000 male population. In Moscow, this figure is only 3 deaths per 10,000 men.
It is reported that in Tyva, almost a quarter of those killed were convicts recruited into private military companies or the army, and another third were career military personnel. In Altai, 47% of those killed were volunteer soldiers who signed up after 2022. In Buryatia, 25% of those killed are professional soldiers, 34% are volunteers, and one in five are conscripts, which is twice the national average.
In Moscow, 10% of those killed are convicts, 26% are volunteers, 15% are conscripts, and 20% are career military personnel.
Demographers say the regional differences in the level of losses are linked to socio-economic factors. In the poorest regions, the army acts as a social ladder, compensating for the lack of opportunities in education and the labour market. In Moscow, a military career is less popular. At the beginning of the full-scale war, regions with large military units, such as Krasnodar, Pskov, Dagestan and Buryatia, suffered significant losses
Stock photo: ВВС
Subsequently, most of the mobilised troops were recruited from subsidised regions dependent on the federal budget.
"People from regions where life expectancy is already low and the probability of dying from external causes is already high were more willing to participate in the war. Such people are driven not so much by poverty as by a lack of prospects and a feeling that they have nothing to lose," the article says.
The researchers also note that the losses in Tyva and Buryatia significantly exceed similar figures in other national republics – for example, in Dagestan, Ingushetia, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan, they are two or three times lower. According to the demographers, this indicates that social inequality, rather than ethnic factors, plays a key role.
"If sending national minorities to the front were a deliberate policy of the Kremlin, we would see high levels of losses among all national republics. But this is not the case. In Dagestan, Ingushetia, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, the level of losses is two to three times lower than in Buryatia and Tyva. So, the correlation must be sought elsewhere," a demographer said.
In addition, journalists explain that the actual number of deaths significantly exceeds the data from open sources. Based on an analysis of obituaries, reports from relatives, photographs of burials and publications in local media, it has been established that open sources allow only 45% to 65% of the dead to be identified. This is due to the fact that some bodies remain on the battlefield, and their evacuation is complicated by the danger of drone strikes or the unwillingness to risk the lives of other soldiers.
Taking this assessment into account, the actual number of Russian casualties could be between 170,000 and 246,000. However, if we add to this the losses among the militants of the so-called "Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics" [self-proclaimed and non-recognised quasi-state formations in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts respectively, backed by Russia – ed.] – which, according to the publication's estimates, range from 21,000 to 23,500 dead – the total number of deaths on the pro-Russian side could be between 191,000 and 269,000.
Journalists note that they use open sources to count the dead, including reports from regional leaders, local administrations, media publications, posts by relatives and photos from funerals. Reports from official or independent sources, posts by relatives or other publications containing photos of the burial site are considered confirmation of death.
The basic count does not include losses of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR", but researchers include Russians who voluntarily joined their units in the total list.
Background: In January, BBC journalists, in collaboration with Mediazona, reported that they had identified 90,019 Russians who had been killed in the war against Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. Twenty-three per cent of them had signed up after the start of hostilities.
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