Russia’s Likely Death Toll in Ukraine Revealed in Government Filing

Russia’s 2024 budget gives an idea of how many of their military personnel have likely been killed in the Ukraine conflict.

This budget sets aside money to help the families of about 102,700 soldiers who lost their lives in the war. These numbers come from a Russian news outlet, but Newsweek hasn’t confirmed them.

Families of fallen soldiers get one-time payments and monthly support from the Russian government. In the 2024 budget, the government is dedicating over $168 million to help the relatives of soldiers who were hurt or died.

Out of this, about $102 million is for monthly payments to the families of injured soldiers, and roughly $59 million is for the families of those who died. If the soldier who died was the family’s main provider, there’s also money set aside for home repairs.

There’s still more money left in the budget, which, when divided, could help the families of around 239,300 soldiers who died. This budget covers not only Ukraine but other conflicts too.

Based on these numbers, it’s suggested that Russia might need to help the families of around 102,700 military personnel who lost their lives in the Ukraine war. According to their forecast, about 100,000 Russian military personnel might die within two years of the war.

Newsweek has reached out to Russia’s Defense Ministry for their comments on this.

The death toll in Russia from the Ukraine conflict continues to increase, especially because of Ukraine’s efforts to regain control of its occupied territories.

In the past day, over 1,000 Russian soldiers have been reported dead, bringing the total to almost 286,000.

It’s important to know that different sources might report different numbers of casualties. Russia doesn’t often share information about its losses.

In September 2022, they mentioned about 5,937 Russian troops died in the war in Ukraine since late February 2022.

Related: Putin’s Military Suffers Major Setback as Over 100,000 Soldiers Deemed Unfit for Combat

An investigation by BBC and a Russian news outlet identified the names of over 34,000 Russian military personnel who died in the Ukraine war. They believe the actual number of casualties might be higher.

Ukraine doesn’t always share its casualty numbers either, but estimates from Western sources suggest they have also suffered significant losses.

In April, a U.S. intelligence report estimated that Ukraine had 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, including around 15,500 to 17,500 deaths and 109,000 to 113,500 wounded.