A study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US think tank, published on Wednesday, estimates that the combined military casualties from Russia's invasion of Ukraine have surpassed 2 million. The report, released on July 1, 2026, indicates that Russian forces have suffered the majority of the losses.
Key Casualty Figures
According to CSIS, between 400,000 and 450,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began in February 2022. Total Russian casualties—including killed, wounded, and missing—amount to approximately 1.4 million. Ukrainian forces have sustained between 525,000 and 625,000 casualties, with fatalities ranging from 125,000 to 150,000 during the same period.
Comparative Analysis
The study highlights that Russian fatalities in Ukraine are more than four times greater than all US fatalities combined in all wars since World War II. Additionally, the ratio of Russian to Ukrainian casualties has likely risen to around 8 to 1 in the first half of 2026, indicating a growing disparity in losses.
Implications of the Conflict
These figures underscore the immense human cost of the war, now in its fifth year. The think tank's analysis relies on publicly available data and satellite imagery, though exact numbers remain difficult to verify independently. The continued high casualty rates suggest no imminent resolution to the conflict.
