Casualty data reported by Russian defense minister contradicts ministry’s previous reports

Between February and 24 and September 20, Russian Defense Ministry representative Igor Konashenkov reported a total of at least 83,000 Ukrainian troop losses in his daily reports, according to the investigative outlet Agentstvo.

On September 21, however, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported that there had been 61,207 losses on the Ukrainian side.

In addition, Shoigu’s statement put Russia’s own troop losses at 5,937 since the start of the war. The BBC Russian Service and the independent outlet Mediazona, however, used open sources to confirm the deaths of more than 6,000 Russian soldiers in the war as of September. On September 21, Mediazona reported that more than 6,600 Russian losses had been confirmed.

In the 210 days since Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry has only reported on Russian losses three times.

In early August, the Pentagon estimated that the total number of Russian soldiers injured or killed in battle falls between 70,000 and 80,000.

On September 21, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces estimated Russia’s combat losses at 55,110 (deaths, not injuries).