Russia Records 45,000 Military Deaths in Ukraine War in 2024, Including 36,000 in April and 27 Lives Lost per Km

In 2024, Russian military forces have suffered record casualties in the ongoing war in Ukraine, with losses reaching unprecedented levels since the conflict began. Reports indicate that Russia experienced approximately 45,000 military deaths this year, nearly three times the number recorded in the first year of the invasion and exceeding the losses of 2023, which included the war's deadliest battle in Bakhmut. The month of April alone saw over 36,000 Russian soldiers killed. The fighting has been characterized by large-scale Russian assaults with reduced armor support, relying on motorcycles and even donkeys for mobility. Despite these massive losses and minimal territorial gains, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to deploy more troops. The deadliest day recorded was February 20, 2024, with an average of 27 Russian lives lost per kilometer of the front line. The scale of casualties is so severe that Russian authorities reportedly struggle to account for all the dead and to notify families of soldiers' deaths. This high mortality rate has led analysts to conclude that, at the current pace, it would take Russia centuries and millions of casualties to achieve its objective of invading Ukraine fully.