Since the start of the war, our team has been following and verifying reports of losses among Russian troops fighting in Ukraine by following official announcements, local media reports as well as social media and speaking to the relatives of Russian servicemen.
Up to this moment BBC News Russian has been able to verify the deaths of 2,336 Russian servicemen. We have been able to establish their names, ranks and military units where they served.
This is nearly twice the latest official figure released by the Russian Defence Ministry in March.
It is likely that the real figure of the Russian military in Ukraine is far higher than we have been able to establish. But our data analysis helps to see the trends of what is happening with the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.
Nearly 20% of all confirmed military casualties are officers. This proportion has remained unchanged for the past three months. Experts say that Russian officers may have to risk more on the frontline because of persistent problems with communications.
Over 25% of all losses are paratroopers and marines. These units are often used in reconnaissance and storming operations. However they often don’t get enough operational support and evacuation opportunities for the wounded.
Most of the casualties, confirmed by us, came from the least developed and economically deprived regions of Russia. There are only three confirmed deaths of servicemen from Moscow, even though the capital makes up almost 9% of the Russian population.
Ukrainian authorities now say that nearly 27,000 Russian soldiers have been killed.
