New Study Finds Over Two Million Russian and Ukrainian Soldiers Killed or Wounded in Four-Year War

A recent study by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, published in the New York Times, estimates that over two million Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The research highlights that Russia has suffered the heavier toll, with approximately 1.4 million casualties, including 450,000 deaths, four times the total number of U.S. military deaths in all wars since World War II. Ukrainian forces have sustained between 525,000 and 625,000 casualties, with 125,000 to 150,000 fatalities.

The study notes the difficulty in obtaining precise casualty figures due to both Moscow and Kyiv withholding official data. It relies on estimates from U.S. and British government sources. Territorial control by Russia in Ukraine has shrunk as of spring 2026, with Russian forces losing about 400 square kilometers in April and May, marking their first net monthly territorial losses since August 2024. Analysts estimate around 400,000 Russian troops face approximately 250,000 Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines.

The report also reveals that North Korea sent over 10,000 troops in 2024 and 2025 to assist Russia in regaining control of its western Kursk region, which Ukraine had captured. In 2026, Russia's monthly casualty rates, estimated between 30,000 and 34,000, likely exceeded its recruitment rate of about 27,000 new soldiers per month. Seth Jones, a co-author of the study, told the New York Times that Russia is experiencing its darkest period since the invasion began, with ordinary Russians bearing the brunt amid a collapsing economy, soaring prices, increasing battlefield deaths, and drone attacks on Russian cities.