CSIS Estimates 1.8M Casualties in Russia-Ukraine War

A new study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that Russian and Ukrainian military casualties in the war have reached nearly 1.8 million since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the total projected to hit 2 million by spring 2026. The report, released this week, highlights unprecedented losses for a major power, as Russian forces have captured only a fraction of Ukrainian territory despite the heavy toll.

The analysis puts Russian casualties at about 1.2 million killed, wounded or missing, including between 275,000 and 325,000 deaths. Ukrainian forces have suffered 500,000 to 600,000 casualties overall, with 100,000 to 140,000 fatalities. These figures, drawn from U.S. and British government estimates and other sources, exceed those of any conflict involving a major power since World War II. For comparison, the report notes that Russian losses surpass the combined totals from all Soviet and Russian wars after World War II, including the Afghan conflict and the Chechen wars, by a factor of five.

On the battlefield, Russian advances have been minimal. Since the invasion began nearly four years ago, Moscow controls about 20...