CSIS: Russia suffered roughly 200,000 to 250,000 total casualties in Ukraine war

Russia suffered more combat deaths in Ukraine in the first year of the war than in all of its wars since World War II combined, the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said, Report informs.

“Overall, Russia has suffered roughly 200,000 to 250,000 total casualties—personnel wounded, killed, and missing—during the first year of the war. These casualty estimates also include regular Russian soldiers, militia fighters, and private contractors from the Wagner Group. The number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine in the first year was roughly two to five times greater than the number of Russian soldiers killed in Chechnya over nearly a decade and a half,” CSIS said.

According to the think tank, military innovation is one factor that likely explains how Ukraine has overcome its disadvantages, though it is clearly not the only factor: “The Ukrainian “will to fight,” political and military leadership (including that of President Zelenskyy), strategy, and force employment have all likely mattered, as has military, economic, and diplomatic support from the West. One factor that has likely contributed to Ukraine’s performance is military innovation, exemplified by Ukraine’s utilization of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) in combined arms operations.”