The Russian military's losses in Ukraine are comparable to the population of Yekaterinburg

The Russian army’s total losses in the war against Ukraine have surpassed 1.5 million killed and wounded. This figure is equal to the population of Yekaterinburg—the fourth-largest city in the Russian Federation and the largest metropolitan area in the Urals.

This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

Russia’s current losses are unprecedented since World War II, surpassing the total number of Soviet and Russian military personnel killed and wounded in all local armed conflicts over the past 80 years. Specifically, this figure is 100 times greater than the Soviet Union’s losses over a decade in Afghanistan and 125 times greater than the official statistics for the two Chechen campaigns.

As of January 7, 2025, the Russian Federation’s casualties since February 22, 2022, had exceeded 800,000 soldiers. 

Thus, in three years of war, Russia has lost more combatants in Ukraine than the entire population of some of the federation’s constituent republics. For example, according to Wikipedia, the total population of the Republic of Mordovia as of January 1, 2024, was 765,891 people. 

In other words, Russia has effectively lost the equivalent ofMordovia—or, collectively, republics such as Khakassia and Kalmykia—in Ukraine.

In total, Russia has 26 districts, regions, and republics withpopulationsof fewer than 800,000 people. For example, Russia lost the equivalent of 19 Nenets Autonomous Okrugs or 1.5 Ingushetia in Ukraine. 

Юлія Калабайда