Number of Russian soldiers dead in Ukraine war hits staggering 70k in new blow for Putin

Vladimir Putin's 'meat-grinder tactics' in Russia's war with Ukraine have been blamed for the devastating death toll.

By Oli Smith, News Reporter

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The death toll is blamed on the Russian military's 'meat grinder tactics' in its war with Ukraine (Image: Getty)

More than 70,000 troops fighting in Russia's military have died in Vladimir Putin's brutal Ukraine war, according to a shocking new analysis.

The finding, verified by the BBC and the independent website Mediazona, found that Russian volunteers - civilians who joined the armed forces after the start of the war - make up one in five deaths (20 percent).

This makes up the largest proportion of people killed in the war, surpassing former Russian prisoners who were deployed in return for a pardon (19 percent). Meanwhile, mobilised soldiers - citizens called up to fight when Russian numbers were depleted - account for 13 percent.

It is thought that the catastrophic death toll - at least 70,112 Russian soldiers whose names have been published - can be blamed on the Russian military's 'meat grinder tactics' in its war with Ukraine.

The actual death toll is thought to be "considerably higher" with many deaths not announced in public, while other troops have died in private militias inside Ukraine.

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Salaries in the military can be five to seven times higher than average wages in Russia (Image: Getty)

The meat grinder strategy, reliant on the sheer size of the Russian military, is used to describe sending waves of Russian soldiers forward in an attempt to wear down Ukrainian forces.

The tactics have been on full display in recent failed attempts to seize the eastern Ukrainian towns of Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk.

Russian soldiers have been filmed complaining that they have only received a week or two of training before being sent to the frontline.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones have shown Russian forces sent to attack frontline positions without any equipment or support from artillery.

At times, hundreds of Russian troops have died in a single day. According to the BBC's data, the weekly death toll of volunteer fighters has not fallen below 100 since October 2023.

The disturbing analysis found that many of the volunteer fighters came from small Russian towns, with many searching for well-paid work. Salaries in the military can be up to seven times higher than average wages in some parts of the country.

Many volunteers have complained that they did not understand that the military contracts "had no end date".

The chilling number of fatalities comes just days after President Putin ordered a dramatic increase in the size of the Russian army. The addition of around 180,000 troops would see a 1.5-million-strong fighting force, second in size only to China.

Military training of volunteers continues in Russia

Russian volunteers who joined the armed forces after the start of the war make up one in five deaths (Image: Getty)

The Kremlin said the order was needed to address growing threats on Russia’s western borders and instability to the east.

The analysis also found that hundreds of volunteers from abroad had been killed in the war in Ukraine.

The deaths predominately came from Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

In the past, the governments of India and Nepal have issued demands for Moscow to stop sending their citizens to fight in Ukraine.

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