How many Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine? Russia says about 500. Ukraine says 6,000.


For the first time since invading Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry released a casualty report on Wednesday.
According to The Associated Press and NPR, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said 498 Russian soldiers have been killed and 1,597 wounded.
Ukraine disputes this number. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that nearly 6,000 Russian troops — a figure 12 times higher than that provided by Konashenkov — have been killed since the invasion began, CNN reported.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Konashenkov also gave casualty numbers for the Ukrainian military: more than 2,870 killed, around 3,700 wounded, and 572 captured, according to Al Jazeera.
There are no Ukrainian numbers to which this claim can be compared. Zelensky's office said at least 30 Ukrainian soldiers died on the first day of the invasion last week. A regional governor relayed news of an additional 70 military deaths on Tuesday, according to AP. Other than those two reports, Ukrainian sources have been reticent to share information about military casualties.
Ukraine has, however, been forthcoming about civilian casualties. The country's emergency services say 2,000 civilians have been killed. Once again, though, these numbers have not been independently verified. The United Nations said Tuesday that it could confirm only 136 civilian deaths since the invasion began.
Konashenkov's announcement did not include any estimate of how many Ukrainian civilians Russia's military has killed.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
5 unlawfully funny cartoons about the Executive vs the Judiciary
Cartoons Artists take on halting deportations, attacking judges, and more
By The Week US Published
-
What is the the Mar-a-Lago accord?
Talking Point A Maga economic blueprint proposes upending the global financial system. Could it fly?
By The Week UK Published
-
Facebook: Sarah Wynn-Williams' shocking exposé
Talking Point Former executive's tell-all memoir of life behind the scenes at Meta 'makes for damning reading'
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia's spies: skulduggery in Great Yarmouth
In the Spotlight 'Amateurish' spy ring in Norfolk seaside town exposes the decline of Russian intelligence
By The Week UK Published
-
Can Ukraine make peace with Trump in Saudi Arabia?
Talking Point Zelenskyy and his team must somehow navigate the gap between US president's 'demands and threats'
By The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine: where do Trump's loyalties really lie?
Today's Big Question 'Extraordinary pivot' by US president – driven by personal, ideological and strategic factors – has 'upended decades of hawkish foreign policy toward Russia'
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Is Europe's defence too reliant on the US?
Today's Big Question As the UK and EU plan to 're-arm', how easy will it be to disentangle from US equipment and support?
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
What will Trump-Putin Ukraine peace deal look like?
Today's Big Question US president 'blindsides' European and UK leaders, indicating Ukraine must concede seized territory and forget about Nato membership
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's disappearing army
Under the Radar Every day unwilling conscripts and disillusioned veterans are fleeing the front
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's mercenaries fighting against Ukraine
The Explainer Young men lured by high salaries and Russian citizenship to enlist for a year are now trapped on front lines of war indefinitely
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published