The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that since the beginning of November 2026, the losses of Russian troops in Ukraine have exceeded 26,000 personnel killed and wounded. According to RBC-Ukraine, the agency stated this, emphasizing that the enemy loses more than 2,000 servicemen every day. Kyiv points out that this dynamic is the result of the daily work of Ukrainian artillerymen, drone operators, assault units, and everyone holding the frontline.
Daily loss dynamics
According to the Ministry of Defense, the average daily loss rate of the Russian side in November remains at over two thousand people. The department notes that every day the offensive operations continue costs Moscow more and more, and the cumulative damage accumulates faster than Russia can replenish its losses. The Ukrainian side attributes this steady dynamic to the systematic work of artillery, aviation, and unmanned reconnaissance and strike units, which it says inflict damage on enemy personnel, equipment, and logistics along all frontline sectors.
Hidden mortality statistics following Rosstat breach
Independent data provides context for assessing the scale of losses. Recently, hackers from Ukraine and Belarus reportedly gained access to closed Rosstat databases and retrieved data on real mortality statistics. The agency's database, as indicated, contained nearly 393,000 death certificates directly related to the war against Ukraine. At the same time, analysts suggest that the actual number of dead Russians may be higher, as not all cases are recorded in official statistics.
The Economist assessment: 1.4 to 2.1 million losses
In late October 2026, The Economist published its own study suggesting that the total losses of the Russian army in killed and wounded may exceed 2 million people. According to analysts' calculations, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia could have lost between 374,000 and 770,000 servicemen dead alone, with total losses including the wounded estimated in the range of 1.4 to 2.1 million people. These figures significantly exceed the official statements of the Russian leadership and highlight the gap between public rhetoric and data obtained from open sources and leaks.
What this means for the course of hostilities
Comparing the November dynamics from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Rosstat leaks, and The Economist model paints a picture of consistently high losses for the Russian side throughout the conflict. The Ukrainian command interprets this as a sign that the enemy's offensive operations are not yielding the expected results and are accompanied by disproportionately high consumption of personnel. For further assessment, the issue of replenishing losses remains key: it is the ability of both sides to replace the killed and wounded that determines how long each can maintain the current pace of hostilities.
