It Has Been Revealed Where The Russian Army Suffered Its Heaviest Losses In Ukraine

• 13.11.2026, 15:14

The battles for each of these cities turned out to be bloodier than the entire Soviet war in Afghanistan.

The death toll among Russian occupiers in Ukraine could reach 650,000 by the end of the year. The bloodiest battles took place in Avdiivka, Pokrovsk, and Bakhmut.

These conclusions were drawn by Financial Times based on an analysis of Rosstat data stolen by hackers.

By August 2026, the total number of Russians who had died as a result of the war against Ukraine stood at about 550,000; of these, approximately 410,000 deaths were directly related to the war, while journalists identified another 12,000 based on additional evidence, and 42,000 were identified through court proceedings to declare those missing as deceased.

If the mortality rates recorded in January continue through the end of the year, the death toll could rise to 650,000. However, the actual figure may be higher due to delays in registering deaths.

According to Rosstat, approximately 120,000 of the deaths occurred in the Avdiivka and Pokrovsk districts, with another 48,000 in the neighboring Bakhmut district.

The FT notes that the battles for each of these cities proved to be bloodier than the entire ten-year Soviet war in Afghanistan.

The analysis also revealed a shift in the age of the dead. In 2025, the average age of a Russian soldier killed in the war was 40, compared to 34 in the first year of the invasion.

Men aged 35–44 became the largest group, accounting for about 158,000 deaths. The proportion of those killed aged 18–24 fell to approximately 10%.