In the past year, Russian forces suffered the heaviest losses since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine — at least 45,287 personnel were killed.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the BBC Russian service.
Journalists from the BBC and Mediazona note that in 2024, Russian forces lost three times more personnel than during the first year of the full-scale invasion, and significantly more than in 2023, when the battle for Bakhmut was underway.
“Last year, every kilometer of captured territory cost Russia at least 27 lives,” the article states.
As of May 2, journalists were able to confirm the identities of 106,745 Russian servicemen who died during the war. Among them 17,754 were contract soldiers, 16,745 were former prisoners, 26,618 were volunteers, 12,058 were mobilized troops, 3,167 belonged to private military companies (PMCs)
For contract soldiers alone, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia lost 7,441 motor riflemen, 3,415 airborne troops, 1,702 naval infantry and navy personnel, 1,169 tank operators, 890 artillerymen, 765 special forces, 590 National Guard (Rosgvardiya) troops, 1,782 from unidentified units.
According to published data, in 2024, Russian forces lost 45,287 servicemen, in 2023 – 37,633 servicemen, in 2022 – 17,890 servicemen.
The journalists claim that the bloodiest day for Russian forces in 2024 was Tuesday, February 20, when 201 soldiers were killed in fighting across various front lines.
“In the first two years of the war – 2022 and 2023 – Russian losses fluctuated: heavy battles with many casualties alternated with periods of relative calm,” the article notes.
During the first year of the invasion alone, Russia lost at least 17,890 personnel (excluding losses from forces of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR). In 2023, the number rose to 37,633.
In 2023, the bulk of Russian losses occurred between January and March during attempts to capture Vuhledar and Bakhmut in Donetsk region, with up to 213 troops killed per day. In July and August, the casualty rate dropped to 40–50 per day.
However, in 2024, there were no such decreases in Russian military losses. Notably, when the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered Russia’s Kursk region, 1,226 Russian troops were killed in just one week (August 6–13), according to journalist data. U.S. military analyst Michael Kofman said that Russia suffered its heaviest cumulative losses between September and October 2024.
Among Russian regions, Bashkortostan continues to lead in absolute losses, with 4,836 confirmed dead.
As Ukrinform previously reported, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, in April 2025 alone, Russian forces lost 35,010 soldiers, equivalent to nearly three motor rifle divisions.
Source: 2024 becomes deadliest year for Russian forces in war against Ukraine – media
