The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a new report showing that Russia’s war costs are climbing and the city has lost its initiative on the battlefield.
Since the full‑scale invasion began in February 2022, Russian forces have suffered about 1.4 million battlefield casualties, including roughly 450 000 killed—more than four times the total U.S. battlefield losses in all wars since World War II.
This year, monthly losses (killed and wounded) have exceeded 30 000, while new recruits number only about 27 000. Russian casualties now outpace new enlistments.
Russian losses have far outstripped those in Ukraine; the casualty ratio has risen from 2:1 or 3:1 to nearly 8:1 in the first half of 2026. Despite these heavy losses, President Vladimir Putin continues the war.