Casualties in Russia-Ukraine War Exceed 2 Million, Russian Deaths Estimated at 450,000

An analysis suggests that total military casualties on both sides have surpassed 2 million since Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
According to The New York Times, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S.-based think tank, released these findings in a report published on July 1 (local time) regarding the war that began in February 2022.
Russia has suffered the higher human toll, with CSIS estimating total Russian military casualties at 1.4 million, including 450,000 deaths.
Ukrainian military casualties were estimated at between 525,000 and 625,000, with fatalities analyzed to be between 125,000 and 150,000.
However, the report assessed that while Ukraine has fewer total casualties, it has suffered more devastating losses in terms of the proportion of casualties relative to its total population and military size.
The report also noted the difficulty of obtaining precise casualty counts.
This is because Russia downplays the scale of its casualties, and Ukraine does not disclose official statistics on its own losses.
The report evaluated that despite the massive loss of life, Russia's battlefield performance has fallen far short of expectations.
It analyzed that "the Russian military lost more territory than it captured between April and May, recording a net loss of approximately 400 square kilometers," adding that "this is the first monthly net loss since August 2024 and another indicator of the Russian military's difficulties."
Advanced technology and external factors have also influenced the shifting battlefield situation.
The report assessed that the blocking of Starlink, a satellite internet service led by Elon Musk, for Russian forces in February provided temporary assistance to the Ukrainian military.
Russia has been replenishing its troops by issuing its first mandatory conscription order since World War II and sending prison inmates and debtors to the front lines.
North Korea also dispatched over 10,000 combat troops to support Russia between 2024 and 2025.
However, the report estimates that the average monthly casualty rate for the Russian military this year is between 30,000 and 34,000, which exceeds the average of approximately 27,000 new recruits per month.
Ukraine is expanding the theater of war directly into Russian territory using drones and missiles.
Following the largest-scale drone strike toward Moscow since the start of the war last month, the Ukrainian military simultaneously struck Moscow and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia forcibly annexed in 2014, this week.
The report stated, "Russia is facing its darkest period since the invasion in February 2022," adding, "Russian citizens are paying the price for the war directly through a stagnant economy, soaring inflation, bodies returning from the front lines, and drone attacks targeting Russian cities."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.