Russia’s Military Losses in Ukraine: Troops, Tanks, Aircraft and Ships

Russia has suffered roughly 1.4 million casualties in Ukraine since February 2022, including an estimated 400,000–450,000 dead, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, more than any major power has lost in a war since 1945. Its equipment losses run to tens of thousands of vehicles, hundreds of aircraft and about a third of the Black Sea Fleet’s combat ships.

Every one of those numbers is an estimate. Russia stopped publishing its losses in September 2022, so this guide sets out what each source counts, how the figures differ and which are the most reliable in October 2026.

How Russian losses are counted

There are three kinds of figure, and they should not be mixed. The first is the daily tally from Ukraine’s General Staff, a claim by one side that cannot be checked and that combines killed and wounded. The second is the estimate produced by Western governments and think tanks from intelligence, demographic data and battlefield reporting. The third is the verified minimum: deaths confirmed by name and equipment confirmed by photograph.

Verified counts are always lower than reality, because not every death is reported publicly and not every wreck is filmed. Claims by a belligerent tend to be higher. The truth usually lies between the two, and it is the estimates in the middle that analysts rely on.

Personnel: killed and wounded

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated in July 2026 that Russia had taken about 1.4 million casualties, of whom 400,000–450,000 were killed. The Russian outlet Mediazona and the BBC, working from obituaries, cemeteries and official records, had confirmed about 259,000 deaths by name by 21 September 2026; they describe that as a floor, not a total. Ukraine’s General Staff put Russian killed and wounded at 1,544,260 on 6 October 2026.

The rate has risen with time. Ukraine’s commander-in-chief put Russian losses at 30,000–35,000 a month in mid-2026, and the composition has changed: Mediazona’s data show volunteers on contracts overtaking prisoners and mobilized men as the largest group among the dead, while officers have fallen from about 10% of confirmed deaths early in the war to 2–3%.

Tanks, armored vehicles and artillery

The Oryx project, which lists only losses backed by a photograph or video, has documented 24,170 pieces of Russian equipment, including about 4,400 tanks. Analyst Jakub Janovsky, working from the same data, estimated in January 2026 that Russia had lost about 9,240 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. Details by type are in our guide to Russian tanks and our guide to Russian armored vehicles.

Ukraine’s General Staff claims far more: 12,396 tanks, 25,494 armored combat vehicles and 50,785 artillery systems as of 6 October 2026. The gap is partly explained by losses that were never filmed and by damaged vehicles that were later repaired, and partly by the incentive every army has to overstate what it has destroyed.

Aircraft and ships

Ukraine claims 443 Russian aircraft and 356 helicopters destroyed. Confirmed losses are lower but still include the most valuable types: two A-50 airborne early warning aircraft shot down in early 2024, dozens of Su-34 strike fighters and Ka-52 attack helicopters, and long-range bombers hit on their airfields in the drone raid of 1 June 2025, when Ukraine said 41 aircraft were struck and satellite imagery confirmed at least a dozen destroyed or badly damaged. The fleets concerned are described in our guide to the Russian air force and our guide to Russia’s strategic bombers.

At sea, a country with almost no navy has pushed the Black Sea Fleet out of the western Black Sea. The cruiser Moskva was sunk in April 2022, and Ukraine’s defense ministry said in April 2026 that about 30% of the fleet’s combat ships had been destroyed or damaged, mostly by missiles and naval drones; a Kilo-class submarine was hit in port at Novorossiysk in December 2025. See our guide to the Russian navy.

Can Russia replace its losses?

So far it has replaced men faster than machines. High signing bonuses have kept the army at about 720,000 troops in Ukraine, although Ukrainian officials reported that contract recruitment fell by about a third in spring 2026. The human pool is not unlimited, and each recruit is more expensive than the last; the force itself is described in our guide to the size of Russia’s army.

Equipment is the harder problem. New production covers only part of what is lost, and the Soviet-era reserves that filled the gap are running out: open-source counts in June 2026 found that 72% of stored tanks had been withdrawn. That is why Russian assaults increasingly rely on infantry, motorcycles and massed drones and glide bombs in place of armored columns.

Ukraine’s losses and what the numbers mean

Ukraine’s losses are lower in absolute terms but heavier relative to its population. CSIS estimated 525,000–625,000 Ukrainian casualties by mid-2026, including 125,000–150,000 killed, which implies roughly two to two and a half Russian casualties for every Ukrainian one.

Losses alone do not decide wars. Russia has shown that it will accept casualties on this scale for limited territorial gains, and its leadership appears to judge that Ukraine and its backers will tire first. What the figures do show is the price of that strategy, and how much of the army described in our overview of Russian military strength will have to be rebuilt when the fighting stops.

Frequently asked questions

How many Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine?

CSIS estimated 400,000–450,000 Russian soldiers killed by July 2026. Mediazona and the BBC had confirmed about 259,000 deaths by name by September 2026, a figure they consider a minimum.

How many casualties has Russia suffered in total?

About 1.4 million killed and wounded according to CSIS in July 2026. Ukraine’s General Staff claimed 1.54 million on 6 October 2026. Russia has published no figures since September 2022.

How many tanks has Russia lost in Ukraine?

Oryx has visually confirmed about 4,400 Russian tanks destroyed, damaged, abandoned or captured. Ukraine’s General Staff claims 12,396. The real number is likely between the two.

How many aircraft has Russia lost?

Ukraine claims 443 fixed-wing aircraft and 356 helicopters. Independently confirmed losses are lower but include A-50 early warning aircraft, Su-34 strike fighters and strategic bombers.

How many ships has Russia lost?

Ukraine’s defense ministry says about 30% of the Black Sea Fleet’s combat ships have been destroyed or damaged, including the cruiser Moskva, sunk in April 2022, several landing ships and a submarine hit in port.