BBC Report: Over 50,000 Russian Military Personnel Dead in Ukraine Conflict, Over 27,300 in Second Year Alone
Approximately 50,000 Russian military personnel have died during the conflict in Ukraine, according to a report by the BBC, Mediazona, and volunteers.
This number represents a 25-percent increase from the first year of the war, with over 27,300 soldiers reportedly dying during the second year.
The deaths were determined through open-source information from official reports, media outlets, and satellite images of Russian cemeteries.
The text reports that the estimated number of deaths in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is over 50,000, which is eight times higher than Moscow's acknowledged death count in September 2022.
This figure does not include militia deaths in eastern Ukraine or the estimated 31,000 Ukrainian soldier deaths.
Russian losses significantly increased in January 2023 during offensives in Donetsk and later in the battle for Bakhmut.
The conflict began when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which has since resulted in a bloody and isolating war for Russia from the Western world.
The Kremlin refused to disclose information on military deaths and casualties in Ukraine, stating that it is the responsibility of the defense ministry to release such information.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, explained that Russian laws on official secrets and the ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine make it understandable why the ministry has not released the figures.