More than 70,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed dead in Ukraine, according to BBC analysis.
For the first time, volunteers civilians who joined the military after the war began make up the majority of those killed, marking a shift in the composition of Russia’s front-line forces since the invasion began in 2022.
BBC Russian, alongside Mediazona, has compiled these figures from official reports and other open sources.
The current count stands at 70,112 deaths, though the actual number is believed to be higher, as some casualties go unreported or are from militia groups in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.
Among those confirmed dead, 13,781 were volunteers, accounting for 20% of the total.
Former prisoners, previously the largest group, now make up 19% of the fatalities, while mobilized civilians account for 13%.
Weekly volunteer deaths have consistently surpassed 100 since October, with some weeks seeing over 300 fatalities.
Ukraine has disclosed fewer details about its military losses.
In February, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died, but U.S. intelligence estimates suggest the actual toll could be much higher.
The case of 62-year-old Rinat Khusniyarov from Bashkortostan illustrates the plight of many volunteers.
Working two jobs before enlisting in November, he was killed in combat less than three months later.
His obituary described him as “a hardworking, decent man.”
Many volunteers come from small towns with limited employment opportunities.
Some, particularly in Chechnya, reported being coerced into service.
Military salaries, significantly higher than average wages, along with benefits like childcare and tax breaks, continue to draw recruits.
Soldiers report that these volunteers are often sent to the most dangerous areas, particularly in the Donetsk region, where Russia’s “meat grinder” strategy continues to take a heavy toll.
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