Most Russian soldiers killed in action in Ukraine come from Russia’s poorest regions
Svitlana Kizilova — Monday, 25 April 2022, 17:59
Most Russian soldiers killed in action in Ukraine come from Russia’s poorest regions. The biggest losses are among personnel from Dagestan and Buryatia.
Source: Mediazona investigation
Details: People from Dagestan and Buryatia are over-represented among the Russian troops in Ukraine. Salaries in these two regions average slightly over 20,000 roubles per month (~220 EUR).
At the same time, Mediazona found that there have been almost no residents of Moscow and St Petersburg (who account for some 12% of Russia’s population) among those killed in action. The media outlet examined at least 1,744 media reports and social media posts on Russian soldiers who lost their lives.
The volunteers who collected the information note, however, that Russia’s actual personnel losses in this war are far greater than the 1,744 whose details can be found on the Internet.
Quote: "The Russian authorities are extremely reluctant to talk about dead servicemen. According to tradition, the responsibility for announcing unpleasant news is delegated to the regional level — deaths are reported by governors, mayors, or city and district administration. The Russian Ministry of Defence has mentioned the losses only twice: on 2 and 25 March, when it reported 498 and 1,351 deaths [respectively]."
Ukraine’s estimates of Russia’s losses since the start of the full-scale invasion are nearing 22,000 personnel. On 24 April alone, Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that some 100 Russian soldiers had been killed in action.
In Ulan-Ude, Buryatia [in the Russian Federation], a woman has staged a one-person protest. She unfolded a "No to war" poster after learning that her son, contract serviceman Sergei Ochirov, was being held prisoner in Ukraine.
