Russia Classifies Mortality Data after Ukraine War Losses Revealed

Russia has classified parts of its mortality data, days after an investigation revealed the scale of the nation's war dead—according to a Russian demographer.

Alexey Raksha, a demographer who previously worked at the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia (Rosstat) statistics agency, found on Tuesday that Rosstat deleted two columns of data containing details on the number of deaths and mortality from external causes.

On June 27, the original data was used by independent outlet Important Stories, which estimated that at least 71,000 Russian troops had died since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has resulted in high military fatalities for both Moscow and Kyiv. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

Independent Russian news outlets Mediazona and Meduza also published a joint investigation on troop deaths in the war on July 5, which used data from the country's National Probate Registry. The outlets found that by the end of June, approximately 120,000 Russian troops had died since the conflict began, "but the real number could be as high as 140,000."

Estimates of casualty numbers in the war vary, with Ukraine's figures usually exceeding those of its Western allies. Moscow rarely shares information on the number of casualties it has sustained in the war. In September 2022, former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 5,937 troops had been killed since the war began.

However, in a rare statement on losses in Ukraine war, Putin said at a press conference on June 5 that the ratio of "irretrievable losses" between Russia and Ukraine was one to five in favor of Moscow. He didn't elaborate on the exact figures.

Kyiv, like Moscow, rarely provides updated information on its war casualties. A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment leaked in April 2023—just over a year into the war—said that Ukraine had suffered 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, including 15,500 to 17,500 dead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war.

Russia is reported to have lost a large number of soldiers after kick-starting an offensive in Ukraine's Kharkiv region on May 10.

Russian military blogger Alexander Kots said on June 26 that Russia's push in the northern Kharkiv region should be given the label "meat grinder." The term describes prolonged battles that rack up high casualty counts and see loss of significant resources.

Another Russian soldier in Kharkiv said his unit was deployed "under machine guns, under drones in daylight, like meat."

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