More than 100,000 dead soldiers: the staggering number of casualties on both sides More than 100,000 dead soldiers: the staggering number of casualties on both sides

After more than nine months of war in Ukraine, it must be assumed that more than 100,000 soldiers have died on both sides at the front. According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak, the high command expects up to 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers to die.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reports that 90,900 Russians were killed on the enemy side. In particular, the heavy fighting around Bakhmut is said to have pushed up the number of casualties on the Russian side in recent days, with more than 600 killed per day.

Many of them would be inexperienced mobilizers who were relentlessly sent into Ukrainian counterfire. The Russian side gives no information about this, while at the same time denying the Ukrainian counts as incorrect.

Interesting in this context is the count of the Russian-language service of the British BBC. Counting only the obituaries and funeral notices published in Russia, the Moscow editorial team had collected the names of about 9,300 Russian army personnel who had died at the end of November. However, the number of unreported cases is probably much higher, she writes herself based on her own research on Russian cemeteries.

Tens of thousands of killed Ukrainian civilians

By mentioning the Ukrainian war victims on the channel Kanal 24, Podoliak entered the conflicting discussion about the number of victims. Last Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed so far. However, von der Leyen’s office had to correct this statement on the same day: by this number, von der Leyen meant both dead and wounded Ukrainians.

If one assumes the usual military method of counting two-thirds wounded in battles for every one-third dead soldiers, 200,000 wounded and more in both armies must be reckoned with. Detailed information on this is lacking on both sides. In a tweet

All the killed and injured civilians in Ukraine must be added to this already shocking number. US Chief of Staff Mark Milley estimated their number at 40,000 last month. The total number of victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is rapidly approaching the total of 200,000 deaths caused by the wars and conflicts in the Balkans during an entire decade between 1991 and 2001.

Another aspect of the war in Ukraine, as new as it is sad, is the numerous women who are deployed on the front line on the Ukrainian side and can therefore become victims of the war. The Czech news service Visegrad 24 quotes the Ukrainian Defense Ministry as paying tribute to 101 soldiers killed in battle since February 24.