record highs amid US-led peace efforts

Russia’s losses in Ukraine reach record highs amid US-led peace efforts

A burial site of Russian soldiers killed in the Ukraine war in the rural Volga region of Kostroma, about 300 kilometres from the Russian capital, Moscow.

BBC News Russian tracks Moscow’s war casualties using official reports, newspapers, social media, and newly established memorials and graves.

According to BBC analysis, over the past 10 months Russian losses in the war with Ukraine have been rising faster than at any point since the launch of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

In 2025, as peace efforts intensified under pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump, Russian sources published 40% more obituaries of soldiers compared with the previous year.

Overall, the BBC has confirmed the names of approximately 160,000 people who were killed while fighting on Russia’s side in Ukraine.

Since February 2022, BBC News Russian has been compiling records of Russian war losses in collaboration with the independent outlet Mediazona and a group of volunteers. The list includes individuals whose deaths were confirmed through official reports, newspapers, social media, newly erected memorials, and graves.

The actual number of deaths is believed to be significantly higher. According to military experts consulted by the BBC, the analysis based on cemeteries, war memorials, and obituaries likely represents only 45% to 65% of the total fatalities.

Based on this estimate, the total number of Russian deaths could range between 243,000 and 352,000.

Obituaries published during any given period provide a preliminary estimate of confirmed losses, as some cases require further verification and may eventually be excluded. However, these figures help illustrate changes in the intensity of the fighting over time.

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