World
Manpower Challenges in Russia's Ukraine Campaign
— 3 mins read
Russia has lost 1.2 million men in Ukraine
Russian forces have suffered around 1.2 million casualties since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, according to Western intelligence estimates. The figure covers killed, wounded, and missing.
UK Ministry of Defence tracking puts Russian daily losses at frequently more than 1,000, with some 2025 and 2026 monthly averages above 30,000. The independent Russian outlet Mediazona, working with the BBC, has verified more than 236,000 individual Russian deaths by name. That is a lower bound. Total deaths are likely far higher.
Despite losses on a scale not seen in Europe since 1945, Russia has not run out of soldiers.
How Moscow keeps filling the ranks
Russia has kept its army supplied with men through a mix of money and coercion. Signing bonuses and high salaries attract 20,000 to 30,000 new contract soldiers every month, according to Russian and Western estimates reported in the Russia Matters war report card.
Prison recruitment, first used by the Wagner mercenary group, has expanded to include pre-trial detainees. Conscription rules have been adjusted repeatedly, with changes to age limits, deferments, and call-up procedures. The September 2022 partial mobilisation was followed by rolling regional recruitment drives that continue today.
Despite losses on a scale not seen in Europe since 1945, Russia has not run out of soldiers.
Foreign fighters from Central Asia and Africa have also been drawn in, but the most significant outside contribution comes from Pyongyang.
North Korean troops on the front line
North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to support Russia's war, with initial estimates of 12,000 to 15,000 soldiers and further rotations since, Reuters reports. Some North Korean units fought in Russia's Kursk region, and a missile unit was reported in 2026.
Pyongyang has also supplied large quantities of artillery shells, helping Russia sustain the concentrated bombardments that precede its ground assaults.
The strain is showing
High attrition has stripped out experienced Russian personnel, forcing commanders to rely on poorly trained replacements. Ukrainian intelligence and Russian opposition media report desertions, refusals to fight, and the use of barrier troops positioned behind front lines to stop retreats. Moscow denies using barrier troops.
The deeper problem is demographic. Russia's working-age population was shrinking before the war. Hundreds of thousands of men have since emigrated to avoid service, and the casualty list keeps growing.
Russian forces have adapted tactically, shifting to small assault groups, drones for reconnaissance and strikes, and heavy artillery preparation. Those changes have kept offensive operations going even as troop quality has fallen.
Ukraine's losses and the Western lifeline
Ukraine has paid a heavy price too. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, estimates Ukrainian casualties at 500,000 to 600,000. Some public assessments place the loss ratio at roughly 2:1 or better in Ukraine's favour, but exact figures are classified and the methodology is not transparent.
Kyiv's war effort depends on Western training, equipment and intelligence. The United States alone has provided more than $100 billion (c.£75 billion) in support since 2022, money raised from American taxpayers and borrowing.
Western analysts judge that Russia's manpower problems do not mean imminent collapse. The state retains the tools of coercion and cash to regenerate its forces in the short to medium term. But the longer the war grinds on, the harder those tools become to use.
