Over 450,000 Russians Killed In Ukraine War, Leaked Rosstat Figures Reveal Human Cost

More than 450,000 Russians have died in the Ukraine war since February 2022, according to leaked data from Russia's state statistics agency Rosstat. The revelations come as Canada announces fresh sanctions against Moscow and 11 European countries prepare for a possible military deployment to Ukraine following a negotiated ceasefire.

The figures emerged from cyberattacks on Rosstat claimed by hacking groups Silent Crow and Belarusian Cyber Partisans on October 29 and November 1. While Rosstat confirmed that its systems were targeted, it denied that its databases had been compromised. Moscow has not officially disclosed updated battlefield deaths since September 2022, when it reported 5,937 fatalities.

Silent Crow's analysis recorded approximately 450,100 deaths by August 2026, while Belarusian Cyber Partisans reported 393,881 using a narrower methodology. The figures include military personnel, civilians killed in attacks and deaths during Ukraine's 2024 Kursk incursion. Non-combat military deaths, including illness, accidents and suicide, are also included in the higher estimate. Missing soldiers and thousands of foreign recruits may not be fully accounted for.

The Moscow Times cross-checked 50 names against BBC Russian and Mediazona records. The two organisations had independently identified 285,881 Russian military deaths by November 6. Britain's Defence Ministry estimated in September that more than 500,000 Russian troops had been killed, with total casualties, including wounded, potentially reaching 1.5 million.

If accurate, the leaked figures would make this Russia's deadliest conflict since World War II, surpassing the approximately 13,000 Soviet soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Ethnic republics and poorer regions appear disproportionately affected. The database also recorded over 14,000 non-combat deaths and 32,000 soldiers who died from wounds sustained at least a year earlier. Russia reportedly lost 6.2 people for every square kilometre of Ukrainian territory captured. The deaths represent around 0.5 per cent of its working-age population.