Fact check: How many casualties have there been on the russian side of the russia-ukraine conflict, according to both pro-russian and pro-ukraine media?

1. Summary of the results

The exact number of Russian casualties in the Ukraine conflict varies significantly depending on the source and time period:

• According to Ukrainian Defense Forces, Russia has lost extensive military equipment, including over 10,000 tanks, 21,000 armored vehicles, and nearly 29,000 UAVs ^[1]. In a single 24-hour period in March 2025, they reported 1,430 Russian soldier casualties ^[2].
• British Military Intelligence and other Western sources estimate approximately 800,000 total Russian casualties since February 2022 ^[3], with particularly heavy losses in 2024 (429,660 casualties) and December 2024 alone seeing 48,670 casualties ^[3].
• Russian sources claim significantly lower numbers, reporting only 5,000-8,000 losses from 2014-2023 in the Donbas region ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• It's crucial to note that these calculations are acknowledged to be approximate and not particularly accurate ^[5].
• Russia has never officially provided comprehensive casualty data ^[4], making independent verification challenging.
• Different international sources provide varying estimates:
• U.S. officials estimated combined casualties at around 500,000
• British officials suggested around 350,000 casualties
• Ukraine's military claimed 407,240 Russian casualties ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

• The significant discrepancy between Russian-reported numbers (5,000-8,000) and Western/Ukrainian estimates (350,000-800,000) demonstrates how casualty figures are heavily influenced by propaganda and strategic communication.
• Several sources explicitly focus on disinformation narratives surrounding the conflict rather than providing concrete numbers ^{[7] [8]}.
• The International Institute for Strategic Studies emphasizes the difficulty in verifying exact numbers due to controlled information from both Russia and Ukraine ^[9].
• Who benefits from these narratives:
• Russia benefits from reporting lower casualties to maintain domestic support and military morale
• Ukraine and Western allies benefit from reporting higher Russian casualties to demonstrate battlefield success and justify continued military support
• The "fog of war" and propaganda from both sides make accurate casualty assessment extremely challenging ^[6]