CSIS study says Russia war casualties top 2 million

Russia has incurred an estimated 450,000 military deaths and 1.4 million total casualties since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to a new report. The study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, published Wednesday, concludes that more than two million soldiers have been killed or wounded in the conflict, a figure that represents the highest battlefield death toll for a major power since World War II.

The analysis places Ukrainian military casualties, including killed, wounded, and missing, between 525,000 and 625,000, with combat deaths ranging from 125,000 to 150,000. These numbers indicate Russia's losses have outpaced Ukraine's throughout most of the war. The report states that for much of the conflict the casualty ratio was between two-to-one and three-to-one in Russia's favor, but that rate has shifted dramatically. In the first half of 2026, Russia is estimated to be losing nearly eight soldiers for every Ukrainian casualty.

The staggering Russian losses come as Ukraine has made incremental territorial gains. Russia's territorial control shrank by roughly 60 square miles during April and May. Meanwhile, Russia's...