Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War

The number of deaths in the Russo-Ukrainian War has climbed into the thousands, with almost all of them occurring during the War in Donbass.

Crimean crisis
Main article: Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

During the Russian annexation of Crimea from 23 February through 19 March 2014, six people were killed. The dead included: three protesters (two pro-Russian and one pro-Ukrainian),[1][2][3][4] two soldiers[5] and one Crimean SDF trooper.[6] The two Ukrainian soldiers who were killed are regularly included in the military death toll from the War in Donbass.[7] On 10 August 2016, Russia accused the Special Forces of Ukraine of conducting a raid near the Crimean town of Armyansk which killed two Russian servicemen. The government of Ukraine dismissed the report as a provocation.[8]

War in Donbass
Main article: War in Donbass

The overall number of confirmed deaths in the War in Donbass, which started on 6 April 2014, has been put at 13,000–13,200.[9]

Total deaths
Breakdown Fatalities Time period Source
TOTAL 13,000–13,200 killed 6 April 2014 – 15 February 2020 United Nations[9]
Civilians 3,350 killed (312 foreign) 6 April 2014 – 15 February 2020 United Nations[9]
UAF, NGU and volunteer forces 4,431 killed[note 1] 6 April 2014 – 2 June 2020 Museum of Military History[7][10][11]
DPR and LPR forces 5,665 killed 6 April 2014 – 12 June 2020 United Nations & DPR[9][12]
Russian Armed Forces 400–500 killed[note 2] 6 April 2014 – 10 March 2015 U.S. State Department[13]

Initially, the known number of Ukrainian military casualties varied widely due to the Ukrainian Army drastically understating its casualties,[14] as reported by medics, activists and soldiers on the ground, as well as at least one lawmaker.[14][15][16][17][18] Several medical officials reported they were overstretched due to the drastic number of casualties.[14] Eventually, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry stated that the numbers recorded by the National Museum of Military History were the official ones, although still incomplete,[19] with 4,409 deaths (4,270 identified and 139 unidentified) cataloged by 1 March 2020.[7][10]

Deaths by regions
Deaths of Ukrainian soldiers in 2018.[20]

The following table does not include the 298 deaths from the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 or the deaths of Ukrainian servicemen, which are listed separately.

Region Fatalities Time period Source
Donetsk region 2,420 civilians and rebels killed[21] 6 April 2014 – 15 February 2015 OCHA
Luhansk region 1,185 civilians and rebels killed[note 3][21] 1 May 2014 – 15 February 2015 OCHA
Donetsk region 4,922 civilians and rebels killed[25] 6 April 2014 – 12 June 2020 DPR
Luhansk region 1,328 civilians and rebels killed[26][27] 6 April 2014 – 31 December 2017 LPR

Missing and captured

At the beginning of June 2015, the Donetsk region’s prosecutors reported 1,592 civilians had gone missing in government-controlled areas, of which 208 had been located.[28] At the same time, a report by the United Nations stated 1,331–1,460 people were missing, including at least 378 soldiers and 216 civilians. 345 unidentified bodies, of mostly soldiers, were also confirmed to be held at morgues in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast or buried.[29] In all, as of late October, 774 people were missing according to the government,[30] including 271 soldiers.[31] By the end of December 2017, the number of confirmed missing on the Ukrainian side was 402,[32] including 123 soldiers.[33] The separatists also reported 433 missing on their side by mid-December 2016.[34]

As of mid-March 2015, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), 1,553 separatists had been released from captivity during prisoner exchanges between the two sides.[35] Subsequently, Ukraine released another 322 people by late February 2016,[36][37][38][39] while by September, 1,598 security forces members and 1,484 civilians had been released by the rebels.[40] 1,110 separatist fighters and supporters, including 743 civilians, were reportedly still being held by Ukrainian forces as of late March 2016.[41] The figure of separatist prisoners was updated to 816, including 287–646 civilians, in December.[42][34] At the end of May 2015, the Ukrainian commander of Donetsk airport, Oleg Kuzminykh, who was captured during the battle for the complex, was released.[43]

In December 2017, a large prisoner exchange took place where the rebels released 73 out of 176 prisoners they were holding, while Ukraine released 306 out of 380 of their prisoners. Out of those that were released by Ukraine, 29 brought to the exchange point refused to go back to separatist-held territory, while 40 who were already previously released did not show up for the exchange. Meanwhile, out of those released by the rebels, 32 were soldiers. This brought the overall number of prisoners released by the rebels to 3,215.[32] Among those still held by the separatists, 74 were soldiers.[44] The number of released prisoners was updated to 3,224 in late June 2018,[45] while the number of those still held by the rebels was put at 113.[46] At the end of December 2019, a new prisoner exchange took place, with Ukraine releasing 124 separatist fighters and their supporters, while 76 prisoners, including 12 soldiers, were returned to Ukraine by the rebels. Another five or six prisoners released by the separatists decided to stay in rebel-controlled territories.[47][48]

Foreign fighters

Foreign volunteers have been involved in the conflict fighting on both sides. The NGO Cargo 200 reported that they documented the deaths of 1,479 Russian citizens while fighting as part of the rebel forces.[49] The United States Department of State estimated 400–500 of these were regular Russian soldiers.[13] Two Kyrgyz and one Georgian have also been killed fighting on the separatist side.[50][51] Additionally, at least 211 foreign-born Ukrainian citizens and 13 foreigners died on the Ukrainian side.[52] One of those killed was the former Chechen rebel commander Isa Munayev.[53]

In late August 2015, according to a reported leak by a Russian news site, Business Life (Delovaya Zhizn), 2,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine by 1 February 2015.[54][55]

Foreign civilians

312 foreign civilians have died: 298 passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17,[56] 11 Russian journalists,[49] an Italian journalist,[57][58] one Russian civilian in cross-border shelling[59] and a Lithuanian diplomat.[60]

Notes
  1. The number of Ukrainian soldiers killed includes the deaths of two servicemen during the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
  2. The deaths of the Russian soldiers have not been confirmed by their government and have possibly been included in the toll of dead rebel fighters.
  3. Out of the 1,185 civilians and rebels killed in the Luhansk region by 15 February 2015,[21] 456 were civilians who died by 29 October.[22] In addition, 526 of the civilians and rebels died in Luhansk city alone by 11 September,[23] of which 300 were confirmed as civilians by 31 August.[24]

References
  1. "Two die in rallies outside Crimean parliament, says ex-head of Mejlis". Kyiv Post. 26 February 2014. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  2. Finley, JC (27 February 2014). "Unrest in Crimea leaves 2 dead; government buildings seized". United Press International. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  3. Погибший крымский татарин шел в военкомат, захваченный "дружинниками" [Deceased Crimean Tatar was captured by "vigilantes" on the way to the military enlistment office] (in Russian). LB.ua. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  4. Зверски убитого крымского татарина звали Решат Аметов. Трое малолетних детей осиротели. [The brutally killed Crimean Tatar was named Resat Ametov. Three young children were left orphaned.] (in Russian). censor.net.ua. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. "Russian marine kills Ukraine navy officer in Crimea, says ministry". Reuters. 7 April 2014. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  6. Saul, Heather; Sengupta, Kim (19 March 2014). "Ukraine crisis: Pro-Russian troops storm naval base as Clinton warns of 'aggression' from Putin". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  7. "Книга пам'яті загиблих" [Memorial Book to the Fallen]. Herman Shapovalenko, Yevhen Vorokh, Yuriy Hirchenko (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  8. "Putin accuses Ukraine of 'terror' over alleged Crimea raid". The Telegraph.
  9. "Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine 16 November 2019 to 15 February 2020" (PDF). OHCHR. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  10. The Museum of Military History also lists separately 139 currently unidentified soldiers who were killed: 66 at Krasnopolye cemetery, 63 at Kushugum cemetery and 10 at Starobilsk cemetery.
  11. Top Ukrainian And German Diplomats Talk NATO And Conflict In Eastern Ukraine
  12. "The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 8 and 14 February 2020". 14 February 2020.
    "Обзор социально-гуманитарной ситуации, сложившейся на территории Донецкой Народной Республики вследствие военных действий в период с 06 по 12 июня 2020 г." 12 June 2020.
  13. "Nuland Claims 400-500 Russian Soldiers Killed in Eastern Ukraine". Sputnik News. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
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  25. "Обзор социально-гуманитарной ситуации, сложившейся на территории Донецкой Народной Республики вследствие военных действий в период с 06 по 12 июня 2020 г." 12 June 2020.
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  27. "232 persons perish in AFU shelling since year's turn – DPR Ombudsman's Office". 9 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
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  30. Зниклими безвісти в Донбасі вважаються 774 українця - СБУ [774 Ukrainians deemed to be missing in Donbass - SBU]. Ua-Pressa.com (in Ukrainian). 17 November 2015. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015.
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  32. Next prisoner swap: Ukraine may exchange 74 for 29 hostages, 103 still captive in Donbas
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  34. 816 Donetsk residents still kept in Ukraine’s prisons — rignts ombudswoman
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  44. Poltorak: 3,332 soldiers killed in Ukraine since beginning of Russian aggression
  45. SBU together with other agencies returns, finds 3,224 prisoners in Donbas – Hrytsak
  46. Number of Ukrainian hostages in Donbas reported
  47. Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists exchange prisoners
  48. Ukraine's SBU publishes lists with names of Ukrainians freed in Donbas prisoner swap
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  53. "Isa Munayev died in the battle for Debaltseve". info-news.eu. 2 February 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
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