Between 60,000 and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in war with Russia – The Economist
Ukraine may have lost between 60,000 and 100,000 soldiers killed over nearly three years of Russia's full-scale invasion, with around 400,000 soldiers likely to have been seriously wounded.
Source: The Economist, citing data from Western intelligence agencies, defence officials, open sources and the UALosses website
Details: Journalists highlight that all the data and reports mentioned are difficult to independently verify. Moreover, these figures may not always account for soldiers who are missing in action or those who are presumed dead, adding uncertainty to the reported casualty numbers.
Quote: "Nevertheless, they offer an approximation of the death toll. They suggest that at least 60,000-100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died so far. Perhaps a further 400,000 are too injured to fight on. These numbers do not include civilian deaths, on which there is strikingly little data. Many tens of thousands of civilians are believed to have been killed."
The Economist also refers to data from the UALosses website, which states that at least 60,435 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since 2022.
Quote: "The figures suggest that more than 0.5% of Ukraine’s pre-war population of men of fighting age (18-49-year-olds) have been killed. The data from UALosses are not comprehensive and not all soldiers’ ages are known. The actual share of men who have died in the war is higher. The share of those too injured to keep fighting is even greater: assuming that six to eight Ukrainian soldiers are severely wounded for every one who is killed in battle, nearly one in 20 men of fighting age is dead or too wounded to fight on."
The publication reports that Russia has lost around 200,000 soldiers killed during this period. Journalists emphasise that the number of casualties in both countries, as a percentage of their total populations, is higher than the combined US losses during the Vietnam and Korean wars.
Quote: "Their combat death toll is fast approaching America’s losses in the second world war. Russia’s losses in Ukraine since 2022, not including deaths of foreign fighters it has recruited, dwarf the number of casualties from all its wars since 1945 combined."
Background:
- Earlier, The New York Times reported that Russia continues to suffer massive losses in its aggressive war against Ukraine. Specifically, in October, the number of killed and wounded Russian soldiers was the highest since the start of the full-scale invasion. However, journalists emphasised that the Russian army cannot be considered exhausted, as, during the first half of 2024, Russia was able to mobilise around 900 people daily.
- As of the morning of 27 November, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces estimated Russian losses at 735,000 killed and wounded.
- In February 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed during Russia's full-scale invasion.
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