---
title: "FT: Russian military death toll in Ukraine reaches 550,000 — 100,000 higher than Rosstat data"
description: "The Financial Times, citing hacked Rosstat data, estimates the Russian death toll in Ukraine at 550,000. The Economist previously gave a range of 374,000–770,000, while independent counts have confirmed the names of 285,881 dead."
date: 2026-11-13T14:54:38.786Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ft-estimate-russian-military-losses-550-thousand
tags: [russian-military-losses, ukraine-war, financial-times, rosstat, casualties, the-economist]
author: "Marina Slivenko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# FT: Russian military death toll in Ukraine reaches 550,000 — 100,000 higher than Rosstat data

![neon plus sign in pink and blue on a dark background, symbolizing losses](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/13/ft-ocenka-poter-rossiiskih-voennyh-550-tysyach/ft-ocenka-poter-rossiiskih-voennyh-550-tysyach-1.webp)

## Key Points

- FT estimates Russian military deaths in Ukraine at 550,000, which is 100,000 more than hacked Rosstat data
- The discrepancy is explained by delays regarding Mariupol, 12,000 uncounted front-line deaths, and 42,000 established through courts
- If January's pace persists, the death toll could reach 650,000 by the end of 2026
- The Economist estimated losses at 374,000–770,000 in late October, with total casualties up to 2.1 million
- Independent tracking by Mediazona, BBC, and volunteers has confirmed 285,881 names of the dead

The Financial Times, citing documents obtained from a hack of Rosstat servers, estimates the number of Russian military personnel killed in the war in Ukraine at approximately 550,000. This is more than 100,000 higher than the preliminary estimate announced earlier in the week by the hackers themselves, who claimed 450,100 deaths by the summer of 2026. The discrepancy, according to FT journalists, is explained by several factors that were not accounted for in the initial count and which, the investigation's authors argue, significantly skew official statistics downwards.

### Why the figure turned out higher

The primary reason for the revision is delays in reporting and processing information. According to the FT, in 2026, documentation and searches for those killed during the siege of Mariupol in 2022 were still ongoing: some families were still filing applications, and bodies remained unidentified. Furthermore, journalists identified another 12,000 deaths of service members who died on the front line or nearby but were not included in the main dataset. A separate category accounts for 42,000 deaths of military-age men established through court disputes, where families were unable to retrieve bodies and turned to courts to obtain compensation or confirm death. It is the sum of these "unrecorded" categories that, according to FT calculations, adds approximately 100,000 people to the baseline Rosstat figure.

### Forecast for the end of 2026

If the pace of losses on the front continues at the level recorded in January 2026, the total number of Russian military deaths could reach 650,000 by the end of this year, according to modeling conducted by the FT based on Rosstat data dynamics. For comparison: at the end of October, The Economist estimated the death toll in the range of 374,000 to 770,000, and total losses (including wounded and missing in action) at 1.4–2.1 million. Compared to the same publication's May estimate, the lower bound of losses has increased by 94,000 and the upper bound by 252,000, indicating a continuing rise in the rate of losses.

### Demographics and regional picture

The structure of those killed during the war has changed significantly. While the average age of those killed on the front during the first year of the conflict was 34, it rose to 40 in 2025. Men aged 35 to 44 account for the largest share of the deceased — 158,000 people. By region, the Zabaykalsky Krai (about 12,300 deaths, or one in every 80 residents of the region) and Bashkortostan (about 15,800) lead. These figures, according to the FT, reflect both the demographic specifics of the regions and the nuances of military recruitment.

### Foreigners among the dead

The FT also established that at least 4,141 foreigners have died fighting on Russia's side in the war. These include citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Colombia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. Exact national breakdowns are not provided in open data, but the very fact of the presence of citizens from dozens of countries confirms that the Russian army continues to attract foreign mercenaries and contractors, which was not previously reflected in official casualty statistics.

### Open sources and independent accounting

Parallel to Rosstat data and Western estimates, independent accounting of the dead is being conducted through open sources. As of November 6, 2026, Mediazona, the BBC, and volunteer projects have established the names of 285,881 fallen Russian military personnel. Two weeks before this date, the list grew by 2,888 entries — these refer to new confirmed names, not necessarily deaths that occurred precisely in that period. The list is compiled based on messages from relatives, media and government reports, and photographs of burials. Thus, even conservative independent accounting, which considers only confirmed names, records over a quarter of a million deaths, which is consistent with the lower range of The Economist's estimates and confirms the order of magnitude of the figures reported by the FT.

## Accounts differ

### Total number of Russian military deaths

- **Hackers who breached Rosstat:** By summer 2026, Russia had lost up to 450,100 people in the war in Ukraine ([novayagazeta.eu](https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2026/11/13/na-voine-v-ukraine-pogibli-okolo-550-tysiach-rossiian-ft-news))
- **Financial Times:** The death toll is about 550,000, including uncounted categories (Mariupol, 12k on the front, 42k via courts) ([novayagazeta.eu](https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2026/11/13/na-voine-v-ukraine-pogibli-okolo-550-tysiach-rossiian-ft-news))
- **The Economist:** The number of Russian military deaths is between 374,000 and 770,000, with total losses from 1.4 to 2.1 million ([novayagazeta.eu](https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2026/11/13/na-voine-v-ukraine-pogibli-okolo-550-tysiach-rossiian-ft-news))

*Where they agree:* All sources confirm that the number of deaths exceeds 285,000 (the minimum based on identified accounting) and is in the hundreds of thousands; no source disputes the fact of massive losses.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [На войне в Украине погибли около 550 тысяч россиян — FT](https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2026/11/13/na-voine-v-ukraine-pogibli-okolo-550-tysiach-rossiian-ft-news) - Source: summary of an FT investigation based on hacked Rosstat data. Figures of 550k, 450,100, 12k, 42k, 650k, 4,141 foreigners, 285,881 named dead, 374k–770k (The Economist) — all are presented in the text. Disclaimer: primary data obtained through a hacking incident, independent verification of the full dataset is impossible.

## FAQ

### Why does the FT cite 550,000 while Rosstat hackers cite 450,100?

According to the FT, the difference is explained by three categories not included in the initial count: delays in processing documentation for those killed in Mariupol (2022), 12,000 front-line deaths, and 42,000 deaths established through family court disputes.

### How many Russian military personnel died, according to The Economist?

In late October 2026, The Economist estimated the number of deaths in the range of 374,000–770,000, and total losses (including wounded and missing) at 1.4–2.1 million.

### How many names of the dead have been established through open sources?

As of November 6, 2026, Mediazona, the BBC, and volunteers have established the names of 285,881 fallen Russian military personnel.

### What is the average age of the dead and which regions lead in losses?

The average age of the dead rose from 34 in the first year of the war to 40 in 2025. Men aged 35–44 constitute the largest share (158k). Bashkortostan (~15.8k) and Zabaykalsky Krai (~12.3k) lead by region.