Russian military casualties in the war against Ukraine have exceeded 2 million – NYT
Russian troops are suffering record losses in the war against Ukraine. According to a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the total number of Russian military personnel killed or wounded over the past four years has exceeded two million.
Russia has suffered the heaviest losses: since February 2022, 1.4 million Russian servicemen have been killed or wounded, of whom 450,000 were killed. Casualties among Ukrainian troops are estimated to range from 525,000 to 625,000, including between 125,000 and 150,000 killed. Since Moscow underreports its figures and Kyiv does not disclose them, the authors relied on estimates from the U.S. and British governments. Despite Ukraine’s lower casualty figures, it is losing a larger proportion of its smaller army, as 250,000 Ukrainians are facing off against more than 400,000 Russians on the front lines. In 2026, Russia’s monthly casualties (30,000–34,000) began to exceed its recruitment rate (about 27,000 new recruits per month).
These heavy losses reflect the slow progress of the Russian Federation, whose troops are making almost no headway on some sections of the front. In the spring of 2026, Russia’s territorial control shrank: in April and May, the occupiers’ net loss of territory amounted to about 400 square kilometers. This was also facilitated by the fact that in February, Elon Musk unexpectedly blocked Russian troops’ access to Starlink, giving Ukrainian forces a respite from drones and freedom of movement.
Russia maintains its army’s strength through conscription, the recruitment of criminals and debtors, the payment of bounties, and pressure on the accused in exchange for dropping charges. In addition, in 2024 and 2025, North Korea sent more than 10,000 soldiers to help recapture territories in the Kursk region.
At the same time, Ukraine has extended the war into Russian territory through its air campaign: last month saw the largest drone attack on Moscow, and this week, the Russian capital and Crimea came under new attacks (in total, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 419 drones). One of the study’s authors, Seth G. Jones, noted that Russia has entered the bleakest period of the war, which has now affected ordinary Russians through economic decline, rising prices, body bags, and strikes on cities.
The report was published against the backdrop of President Trump’s de facto refusal to get involved in the war. At last month’s summit in France, he stated that the conflict is not his priority, that the U.S. has no involvement in it, and that it is merely selling weapons to Ukraine, describing the U.S. role more as a humanitarian mission. Supporters of Ukraine in Congress emphasize the need to stop Russia in order to protect other NATO allies. According to the CSIS report, without increased pressure from the U.S. and Europe, Putin will continue the war despite heavy losses. The Ukrainian issue is expected to be discussed at the NATO summit in Ankara, according to The New York Times.
Over the past 24 hours in Zaporizhzhia, 2 people were killed and 36 wounded as a result of Russian attacks.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 151 drones and a missile; air defense forces neutralized more than 130 targets.
On the night of July 1, Russian troops carried out a massive attack with strike drones on the Dnipropetrovsk region.
As a reminder, on the evening of June 30, Russian forces attacked an electric locomotive in the Dnipropetrovsk region with a drone. There were no casualties, as the locomotive crew was warned of the danger in time and the workers managed to take cover.
Ukrainian drones struck eight of the ten largest Russian oil refineries by processing volume, with some facilities being hit multiple times.
