Story perspectives

352,000 Russian Soldiers Killed by 2025, War’s Deadliest Since WWII

5/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

On May 9, outlets Meduza and Mediazona released an estimate of 352,000 Russian soldier deaths through 2025.
The estimate draws on 218,000 confirmed names and male mortality in probate records, excluding 2026 deaths and foreign fighters.
Confirmed officer fatalities total 7,094, while military deaths on both sides approach half a million, the deadliest European war since World War II.
Russia has repeatedly hidden casualty data, leaving Ukrainian official counts far below estimates.

History

Historical Context

Stalin issued Order No. 270 on 16 August 1941, demanding Red Army units fight to the death and penalising surrenderers, a policy that led to roughly 10,000 executions in the war’s first months. The Soviet habit of hiding losses resurfaces today as Meduza and Mediazona report only 352,000 Russian soldier deaths, far below archival estimates.

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Story summary

On May 9, outlets Meduza and Mediazona released an estimate of 352,000 Russian soldier deaths through 2025.
The estimate draws on 218,000 confirmed names and male mortality in probate records, excluding 2026 deaths and foreign fighters.
Confirmed officer fatalities total 7,094, while military deaths on both sides approach half a million, the deadliest European war since World War II.
Russia has repeatedly hidden casualty data, leaving Ukrainian official counts far below estimates.

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