- Russian Forces Have Suffered the Heaviest Losses Since the Start of the Conflict, CSIS Says
WASHINGTON: Russia’s war in Ukraine has resulted in more than two million military casualties on both sides, with Russian forces accounting for the majority of the losses, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Washington-based think tank estimated that combined Russian and Ukrainian military casualties — including those killed, wounded and missing — have now surpassed the two-million mark since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russian Casualties Estimated at 1.4 Million
According to the study, Russian forces have suffered approximately 1.4 million casualties during the conflict, including between 400,000 and 450,000 deaths.
The report noted that the scale of Russian fatalities in Ukraine exceeds the total number of American military deaths in all conflicts fought by the United States since the end of the Second World War.
“Russian fatalities in Ukraine are more than four times greater than all US fatalities in all wars combined since World War II,” the report stated.
Ukraine Also Faces Heavy Human Cost
The study estimated that Ukrainian military casualties range between 525,000 and 625,000, with fatalities believed to be between 125,000 and 150,000 since the outbreak of the war.
Despite the significant losses on both sides, CSIS said Russia has borne a substantially larger burden, particularly in recent months.
According to the think tank, the ratio of Russian to Ukrainian casualties may have risen to roughly eight-to-one during the first half of this year, reflecting the intensity of Moscow’s military operations and Ukraine’s evolving defensive strategies.
Conflict Continues to Exact Heavy Toll
The findings underscore the immense human cost of the conflict, now in its fourth year, as fighting continues across multiple fronts despite ongoing international diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting settlement.
The casualty estimates, while difficult to verify independently, highlight the scale of the war’s impact on both militaries and reinforce concerns over the prolonged humanitarian and strategic consequences of Europe’s largest armed conflict in decades.
BY: The Times Union
