Nearly one million Russian soldiers have been killed or injured during the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This grim toll, compiled by the American think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), reflects the magnitude of the tragedy caused by the aggression initiated by Vladimir Putin three years ago, writes CNN.
The study warns that Russia will reach the figure of one million casualties by this summer, a clear sign of the „lack of respect for their own soldiers” by the Kremlin.
According to CSIS estimates, out of the approximately 950,000 Russian losses, up to 250,000 could be fatalities.
„No other Soviet or Russian conflict since 1945 has come close to this level of losses,” the report states. Ukraine, in turn, is said to have suffered approximately 400,000 casualties, with between 60,000 and 100,000 deaths. The data is not officially disclosed by Kiev, and Moscow is known for drastically underestimating its own losses.
– Source: [CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/04/europe/russia-war-casualties-1-million-ukraine-intl)
### Daily Massive Losses for Russia
The British Ministry of Defence estimated in March that Russia has recorded around 900,000 casualties since 2022.
The pace of losses remains at around 1,000 soldiers per day, meaning the threshold of one million will be surpassed in just a few weeks.
Despite these figures, the Kremlin continues the offensive without significantly changing its strategy.
### A War of Attrition with Minimal Territorial Gains
Following the failure of the blitz attack in 2022, the war has turned into a war of attrition. Ukrainians have dug trenches and planted mines, while Russians have thrown waves of soldiers into bloody offensives for minimal gains.
In the Kharkov region, the average daily advance is only 50 meters – slower than that of the British and French in the Battle of the Somme during the First World War.
Since January 2024, Russia has only conquered 1% of Ukrainian territory, with the study deeming this progress as „ridiculously small.”
In total, Russia now controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea annexed in 2014. However, the Kremlin continues to employ the same methods, relying on attrition regardless of the human cost.
### Recruitments in Poor Areas, Protected Elites
To compensate for losses, the Kremlin has turned to prisoners and over 10,000 North Korean soldiers.
Young people from Moscow and St. Petersburg, on the other hand, have been protected. Recruitments are focused in the poor regions of the far north and east of Russia, where salary promises have a significant effect.
The study notes that Putin considers these soldiers „easier to sacrifice” and „less politically dangerous.”
– Source: [SpotMedia](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/eveniment/trump-dupa-ce-a-vorbit-peste-o-ora-la-telefon-cu-putin-nu-va-fi-o-pace-imediata-rusia-pregateste-o-reactie-la-atacul-aerian)
### A Regime that Eliminates Criticism, but Not Fear
While Ukraine, as a democracy, faces challenges in mobilizing the population, Russia – where war criticism is banned – has not encountered significant internal opposition.
However, the study authors warn that the blood price could become a vulnerability for Putin’s regime over time, even though Moscow currently controls the military initiative.
In the absence of decisive progress, Russia’s main bet is on the U.S. abandoning support for Ukraine.
The study recalls that President Donald Trump temporarily suspended American aid this year, and some officials in his administration have suggested a possible „abandonment” of the conflict. This, according to the report, is the most realistic path through which Moscow could hope for a strategic victory.