The ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia has resulted in over 1 million casualties, including both killed and wounded, according to estimates cited by The Wall Street Journal on September 17, 2023. The conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has become one of the deadliest in Europe’s recent history. Western intelligence and undisclosed sources suggest that casualties are roughly split between both sides, with Russia bearing the brunt of the losses.
According to British Military Intelligence, Russian casualties exceed 610,000, while Ukrainian estimates place this figure at 635,000, including both killed and wounded soldiers. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has suggested that the total number of Russian casualties, as of mid-September, could be even higher. Estimates place Russian losses at around 200,000 killed and 400,000 wounded. Meanwhile, a confidential Ukrainian estimate from earlier in 2023 puts Kyiv’s military losses at approximately 80,000 killed and 400,000 wounded, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously given a lower figure of 31,000 military deaths in February 2024.
Both sides have been reluctant to regularly update or publicly release official casualty figures. Moscow’s last official report in September 2022 claimed fewer than 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed, while Kyiv’s figures have also been contested by analysts who believe the numbers are underestimated to maintain morale and facilitate ongoing recruitment efforts.
The war has also inflicted a heavy toll on civilians, with the United Nations reporting more than 11,700 civilian deaths. Additionally, millions of people have been displaced, exacerbating the demographic crisis in both countries. Ukraine’s population in government-controlled areas has dropped to between 25 and 27 million, down from 40 million before the war, with 14 million displaced and millions seeking refuge abroad. Russia has also faced significant demographic shifts, with an estimated 650,000 Russians having permanently left the country since the invasion began.
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