July was the toughest month for the Russian Armed Forces in 2026
In July, the Russian army suffered its heaviest personnel losses in a single month since the beginning of 2026. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia lost 42,860 soldiers that month. In total, the Russian army’s losses for the first seven months of the year amounted to 238,650 personnel.
July set a record for the number of Russian military casualties in 2026. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian forces killed or neutralized 42,860 Russian soldiers that month. The General Staff noted that this is the highest monthly figure for Russian military losses since the beginning of the year.
How Russia’s Casualties Have Changed
At the beginning of the year, Russian casualties were lower. In January, they totaled 31,710 soldiers. In February, Russia lost 26,090 soldiers. This was the lowest figure for the first seven months of the year. In March, casualties rose to 31,960. In April, the Russian army lost another 32,980 soldiers.
In May, the figure rose to 33,760. By June, casualties had risen to 39,290 soldiers. In July, Russian casualties continued to rise, reaching a new high of 42,860. Thus, the monthly trend in Russian military casualties is as follows:
- January – 31,710 personnel;
- February – 26,090 personnel;
- March – 31,960 personnel;
- April – 32,980 personnel;
- May – 33,760;
- June – 39,290 people;
- July – 42,860 people.
The General Staff called the July figure a record for 2026. “In total, over the first seven months of 2026, enemy personnel losses amounted to 238,650 people,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
Thus, in July alone, the Russian army lost nearly 43,000 soldiers. This is approximately 3,500 more than in June, which had previously been the worst month for Russian troops in 2026 in terms of this metric. This was reported by the Telegram channel of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russian authorities continue to promote the state-run messaging app Max. Starting in August, users will be able to use its basic features for free without using up their mobile data allowance. The service has signed an agreement to this effect with the four largest mobile operators in the Russian Federation.
