Combined war casualties for Russia and Ukraine could hit 2 million, new report warns

A caller study is informing that the combined warfare casualties successful the astir four-year-long Russia-Ukraine warfare could deed 2 cardinal by the outpouring of 2026. The fig includes soldiers killed, injured oregon missing connected some sides of the war.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a study connected Tuesday successful which it predicted a grim milestone. In its report, CSIS states that Russia suffered 1.2 cardinal casualties, including 325,000 unit deaths, betwixt February 2022 and December 2025. Meanwhile, it estimates that Ukraine suffered betwixt 500,000 to 600,000 casualties, including 140,000 unit deaths. CSIS estimates that the existent combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic 1.8 million.

Getting a wide representation of the fatalities and casualties suffered connected some sides is not casual arsenic neither Moscow nor Kyiv gives timely information connected subject losses, according to The Associated Press, which noted that the 2 countries are besides simultaneously focused connected amplifying each other's casualties. Russia has publically acknowledged the deaths of conscionable implicit 6,000 soldiers, the AP reported. 

The outlet noted that activists and autarkic journalists person said that reports of subject losses person been repressed successful Russian media.

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Members of the National Police Special Purpose Battalion of Zaporizhzhia portion occurrence a Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops astatine a presumption successful a beforehand line, amid Russia's onslaught connected Ukraine, successful Donetsk region, Ukraine, connected Jan. 23, 2026.  (Stringer/Reuters)

"Despite claims of battlefield momentum successful Ukraine, the information shows that Russia is paying an bonzer terms for minimal gains and is successful diminution arsenic a large power," the study reads.

"No large powerfulness has suffered anyplace adjacent these numbers of casualties oregon fatalities successful immoderate warfare since World War II," the study notes.

Russian battlefield casualties and fatalities person been "significantly higher" than Ukraine's, according to the report. 

CSIS estimates the ratio to beryllium astir 2.5:1 oregon 2:1. CSIS points to respective reasons for the precocious Russian casualties and fatalities, including the country's "failure to efficaciously behaviour combined arms and associated warfare, mediocre tactics and training, corruption, debased morale and Ukraine’s effectual defense-in-depth strategy successful a warfare that favors the defense." The study besides states that Russia has accepted taking precocious casualties arsenic portion of its strategy.

"Russia’s attrition strategy has accepted the costs of precocious casualties successful hopes of yet wearing down Ukraine’s subject and society," CSIS states successful its report.

Russian work members of a abstracted engineering portion of the Southern Military District acquisition an intensive combat grooming people to amended their skills successful mounting up barriers, clearing terrain of mines and crossing h2o obstacles, amid the Russia-Ukraine struggle astatine a firing scope successful the Rostov region, Russia, Jan. 19, 2026.  (Sergey Pivovarov/Reuters)

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In summation to its precocious casualty rate, Russia has besides been advancing "remarkably slowly," according to the report. CSIS stated successful its study that Russian forces had precocious astatine an mean complaint of 15 to 70 meters (49 to 230 feet) per time successful its astir salient offenses since seizing the subject inaugural successful January 2024. The authors of the study accidental Russia's gait is "slower than astir immoderate large violative run successful immoderate warfare successful the past century."

The study comes little than 1 period earlier the 4th day of Russia invading Ukraine. Despite planetary mediators, including the U.S., making attempts to extremity the war, it has persisted with some sides suffering casualties.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said 2 radical were killed during Russian strikes that deed an flat artifact connected the outskirts of Kyiv, the AP reported. Additionally, astatine slightest 9 radical were injured successful abstracted attacks connected the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kryvyi Rih.

The U.S., Ukraine and Russia are holding the archetypal trilateral gathering successful years. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters; Denis Balibouse/Reuters; Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

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Representatives for Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. precocious met successful the United Arab Emirates for the archetypal trilateral talks since 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said successful a station connected X that the "conversations were constructive."

"A batch was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive," helium wrote connected X, noting the delegations could person further meetings arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week. "As a effect of the meetings held implicit these days, each sides agreed to study backmost successful their capitals connected each facet of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Russia and Ukraine's overseas affairs ministries.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.