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More than 400,000 Russians killed in Ukraine war, leaked records reveal
A leak of Russian state records suggests more than 400,000 Russians have died in the war in Ukraine, revealing a scale of losses that underlines the conflict’s toll on Russia. The figure exceeds the combined Russian and Soviet fatalities in all wars since the Second World War, according to the article.
Belarusian and Ukrainian hacking groups say they found 412,576 war-related death certificates among 11 million records from Russia’s statistics agency, Rosstat, after a breach on 1 November. Rosstat confirmed a hack but denied that sensitive information was obtained. The estimate is broadly in line with other analyses, including Mediazona’s count of nearly 286,000 military deaths and its estimate that the true toll may approach 500,000; the reports come amid pressure over casualties and ongoing peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
In short
- Leaked records list 412,576 Russian war deaths.
- Rosstat confirmed a hack but disputed the data claim.
- Other estimates suggest the toll may be near 500,000.
Explained simply
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, beginning a war that has caused heavy military and civilian losses. Russia does not routinely publish a complete count of its military dead, so outside assessments have drawn on public records, obituaries and other evidence.
Rosstat is Russia’s state statistics agency, which collects and publishes official data. Mediazona, an independent Russian news outlet, has separately tracked military deaths using publicly available records; its count is a documented minimum, and the actual toll may be higher. The figures matter because they offer a way to understand the war’s human cost, while the lack of a comprehensive official count makes estimates difficult to verify.
Europe Russia-Ukraine War World