Fact Check: "Russia has suffered over 1 million dead, wounded, and missing soldiers since invasion."
What We Know
The claim that "Russia has suffered over 1 million dead, wounded, and missing soldiers since invasion" is supported by various sources, including military officials in Ukraine. According to a report from the Associated Press, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces stated that the number of Russian troops killed or wounded in Ukraine has indeed surpassed 1 million as of June 2025, which aligns with estimates from Western intelligence agencies (source-1). The U.K. Defense Ministry also corroborated this figure, estimating that Russia has sustained approximately 1 million casualties, including around 250,000 killed since the invasion began on February 24, 2022 (source-7).
Additionally, a report from CNN highlighted that nearly 1 million Russian soldiers have been killed or injured, further emphasizing the staggering human cost of the conflict (source-5). However, it is important to note that these figures are primarily sourced from Ukrainian military assessments and Western intelligence, which may carry inherent biases.
Analysis
The claim regarding Russian casualties is largely based on estimates from Ukrainian military sources and corroborated by Western intelligence. The Ukrainian General Staff's assertion of over 1 million casualties is significant, but it is essential to consider the reliability of the sources. Ukrainian officials have a vested interest in portraying the extent of Russian losses as high, which may lead to inflated figures (source-3).
Conversely, Russian officials have not provided updated casualty figures since early in the conflict, when they reported around 6,000 military deaths. This lack of transparency from the Russian side raises questions about the accuracy of their casualty reporting and the potential for underreporting (source-1).
The estimates of 1 million casualties include both killed and wounded, which complicates the interpretation of the data. The distinction between killed, wounded, and missing is crucial, as the total number may include a significant portion of wounded soldiers who may not be permanently lost to the conflict.
Overall, while the figure of over 1 million casualties is supported by multiple sources, the potential for bias and the lack of independent verification necessitate a cautious interpretation of these claims.
Conclusion
Verdict: Partially True
The claim that "Russia has suffered over 1 million dead, wounded, and missing soldiers since invasion" is partially true. While multiple sources, including Ukrainian military assessments and Western intelligence, support this figure, the reliability of these sources is questionable due to potential biases. The lack of updated casualty figures from Russian officials further complicates the assessment. Therefore, while the claim is grounded in reported estimates, the exact numbers should be viewed with caution.
Sources
- Russia's military casualties top 1 million in 3-year-old war, Ukraine ... (https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drone-attacks-kharkiv-0869f159a0b1b0b073dd139a94cffdc1)
- Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War)
- Russia just accidentally admitted to its staggering troop losses in Ukraine (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-just-accidentally-admitted-to-its-staggering-troop-losses-in-ukraine/)
- Russian War Losses Pass Grim 1-Million Milestone - Newsweek (https://www.newsweek.com/russia-casualties-ukraine-one-million-2083882)
- Russia nears 1 million war casualties in Ukraine, study finds (https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/europe/russia-war-casualties-1-million-ukraine-intl)
- Russia's military casualties top 1 million in 3-year-old war, Ukraine says (https://www.yahoo.com/news/3-killed-scores-injured-russia-092849637.html)
- Russian casualties have now likely hit the 1 million mark (https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/russian-casualties-in-ukraine-have-now-likely-hit-the-1-million-mark/)
- One Million Casualties: Russia's Losses on the Battlefield (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y12GcD0_no)
