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 3,367 killed (312 foreign) 6 April 2014 – 31 July 2020 United Nations[10]
UAF, NGU and volunteer forces 4,494 killed[note 1] 6 April 2014 – 21 January 2021 Museum of Military History[7][11]
DPR and LPR forces 5,670 killed 6 April 2014 – 28 August 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 4,494 deaths (4,355 identified and 139 unidentified) cataloged by 21 January 2021.[7][11]

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 4,932 civilians and rebels killed[25] 6 April 2014 – 28 August 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] one Russian civilian in cross-border shelling[58] and a Lithuanian diplomat.[59]

See also

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. REPORT ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN UKRAINE 16 FEBRUARY – 31 JULY 2020
  11. 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.
  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.
    "The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic as a result of hostilities between 22 and 28 August 2020". 28 August 2020.
  13. "Nuland blasts Russian 'reign of terror' in eastern Ukraine". Press TV. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 2020-11-29.
    Kenasari, M. Bilal (10 March 2015). "US says about 500 Russian soldiers killed in eastern Ukraine". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  14. Vlasova, Anastasia; Maxim Tucker (25 January 2015). "Ukraine hides devastating losses as Russia-backed fighters surge forward". KyivPost. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  15. Kim, Lucian (4 November 2014). "The Battle of Ilovaisk: Details of a Massacre Inside Rebel-Held Eastern Ukraine". Newsweek. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  16. "Ukraine crisis: A mood of relief, anger and mutiny prevails among retreating troops". The Independent. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
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  19. "Ukrainian Defense Ministry says 1,750 confirmed military deaths in conflict up to February 2015". uatoday.tv. 23 March 2015. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  20. "Книга пам'яті загиблих". Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  21. "Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights" (PDF). unocha.org. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  22. "Over 450 civilians killed in Luhansk since May: health minister". FOCUS Information Agency. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  23. Walker, Shaun (12 September 2014). "Despair in Luhansk as residents count the dead". Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  24. "Ukraine: Rising Civilian Toll in Luhansk". Human Rights Watch. 1 September 2014. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  25. "The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic as a result of hostilities between 22 and 28 August 2020". 28 August 2020.
  26. "Almost 6,000 civilians killed in Donbass conflict". Archived from the original on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
  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.
  28. "Over 1,500 people gone missing in Kiev-controlled area of Donbas in 2015 — report". TASS. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  29. "Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine 16 February to 15 May 2015" (PDF). OHCHR. May 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  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.
  31. "Nearly 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in east Ukraine conflict zone". 21 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  32. Next prisoner swap: Ukraine may exchange 74 for 29 hostages, 103 still captive in Donbas
  33. "SBU chief says 403 Ukrainian citizens missing as a result of Donbas war". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  34. 816 Donetsk residents still kept in Ukraine’s prisons — rignts ombudswoman
  35. "Militants held in captivity 180 Ukrainian servicemen". Ukraine News: Information portal newspaper "Young Bukovynets". 16 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  36. "More than 1,200 people held prisoner by Kiev — DPR human rights ombudsperson". TASS. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  37. "157 Ukrainians in militant captivity - Ukrainian officials".
  38. "Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels swap 20 prisoners". dailystar.com.lb. AFP. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  39. "Ukraine, LPR exchange prisoners in three-for-six format". TASS. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  40. "Ukraine's Security Service discloses number of released captives and those still held hostages". Ukraine Today. 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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  42. "Ukraine frees two prisoners — DPR ombudsman". 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  43. "Ukrainian commander freed by Kremlin separatists". KyivPost. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015.
  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
  49. "Проект «Груз-200 из Украины в Россию»". Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  50. "Another Georgian Man Killed Fighting In Ukraine". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  51. "Kyrgyz Mercenary Details Russian Military Role In Ukraine". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  52. Shapovalenko, Herman; Yevhen Vorokh; Yuriy Hirchenko. Книга пам'яті загиблих [Memorial Book to the Fallen]. memorybook.org.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  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.
  54. Segalov, Michael (26 August 2015). "The number of Russian troops killed or injured fighting in Ukraine seems to have been accidentally published". London: The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  55. Eremenko, Alexey (26 August 2015). "Russia's Classified Ukraine Crisis Death Toll Appears to Have Leaked". NBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
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  57. "Italian becomes first journalist killed in east Ukraine". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
  58. Demirjian, Karoun; Birnbaum, Michael (13 July 2014). "Russia warns Ukraine of 'irreversible consequences' after cross-border shelling". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
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