Russian Troop Deaths Four Times Higher Than All U.S. Combat Losses Since WWII

Russian troop fatalities in Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine are now more than four times higher than total U.S. military deaths in all conflicts since World War II, according to new estimates.

The grim statistic according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows the demographic cost of the war on Russia, while a separate report signaled that Putin's forces were losing more troops than they can recruit at minimal battlefield gains.

The CSIS figures estimate that by June, Russia has suffered at least 450,000 deaths since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022-roughly the population of the city of Long Beach, California.

The think tank estimated that there were also 1.4 million Russian casualties, which includes both those killed and injured.

"Since World War II, no major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war, leaving Russia with a grim and unparalleled recent historical record," the CSIS said.

Both Russia and Ukraine are tight-lipped about the number of battlefield losses and Moscow has not updated the death toll since September 2022 when it said there had been just under 6,000 fatalities.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment about the CSIS figures.

Death Toll Rises As Territorial Control Shrinks

The CSIS noted that its estimate of Russian troop deaths was over four times the roughly 102,000 U.S. combat losses since 1945 in conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan as well as Grenada, Panama and other wars.

The CSIS report also puts the level of Russian losses within the historical context of Russia and the Soviet Union.

It said that Russian battlefield fatalities in Ukraine are more than 28 times greater than during Moscow's invasion of Afghanistan between 1979 and 1988.

The toll was also over 18 times greater than during Russia's First and Second Chechen Wars in the 1990s and 2000s just after Putin came to power. The figure was also more than nine times greater than all Russian and Soviet wars combined since the end of World War Two.

By comparison, Ukraine has suffered between 125,000 and 150,000 fatalities with total casualty figures of both dead and injured, at between 525,000 and 625,000.

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The human toll of Putin's Ukraine war

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It said that for much of the war, the Russia-Ukraine casualty ratio was between two and three Russian casualties for every one Ukrainian casualty, although the rate has likely risen to nearly eight to one in the first half of 2026.

The think tank puts the high casualty rate down to several factors. These include Russia's attrition strategy, Moscow's failure at combined arms and joint warfare, poor tactics and training, corruption, and low morale.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's defense-in-depth strategy has been effective in killing and wounding Russian soldiers and limiting Russian maneuver. Russian command often orders troops to advance toward Ukrainian positions and conduct reconnaissance by drawing fire.

Russian soldiers may be sent forward to attack identified Ukrainian positions, which are further mapped and then targeted with artillery, FPV drones, and glide bombs. Ukraine's defense-in-depth strategy has also taken its toll on Russian forces thanks to trenches, dragon's teeth (antitank obstacles), mines, artillery, and drones. Over 90 percent of Russian casualties are from drone attacks rather than human-to-human engagements, it added.

Minimal Gains For Russia In 2026

Russian forces captured Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast in February 2024 before moving west towards the logistics hub of Pokrovsk, taking control of the city in January 2026.

However, since then, gains have been minimal, advancing only 30 miles. In its assessment on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Russia's offensive in the spring and summer had failed to achieve significant gains.

Moscow's forces seized or infiltrated 30.42 square kilometers (11.7 square miles) in June and advanced at an average pace of 1.01 square kilometers per day.

So far this year, Russia has seized 240 square miles, compared with 844 square miles during the same period last year.

Ukraine said that in June, Russian forces suffered 39,490 casualties (just under 1,300 a day); because Russia made almost no territorial progress, this represents a 19-fold increase in casualties per square kilometer captured, compared to the same month in 2025.

The ISW said that Russia is also struggling to recruit soldiers to replace its losses using current force generation methods. “It remains unclear how long Russian forces will be able to sustain their current offensive tempo at their current loss rate,” the ISW said.

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Russia versus US casualties

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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Frances Mao and Cristina Diciu.

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This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 8:02 AM.