Independent Russian media outlets Mediazona and Meduza released a new estimate on May 9, 2026, putting Russian military losses in Ukraine at 352,000 since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. This figure, the first update this year, is based on data from Russia’s Probate Registry and a verified database of war dead compiled by journalists and volunteers. Of the total, about 90,000 deaths were declared by court order without recovered bodies, a category that began rising sharply in mid-2024.

The report was published on Russia’s Victory Day, a symbolic date marked by a notably scaled-down military parade in Moscow that excluded military equipment—a rare departure from tradition. The independent estimate contrasts with Ukraine’s official figures, which claim Russia has lost approximately 1.34 million troops as of May 9, 2026.

Western analysts, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, support the conclusion that Russian casualties far exceed Ukrainian losses. A January 2026 CSIS report estimated Russian casualties at 2 to 2.5 times higher than Ukraine’s, which likely suffered between 500,000 and 600,000 total casualties from 2022 to 2025, including 100,000 to 140,000 killed. Russia has not released official comprehensive casualty figures for the war.