Are Both Sides Hiding the Number of Soldiers' Deaths? The Hidden Truth Behind the Surge in "Deserters" and "Missing" Personnel

The Russia-Ukraine war has lasted for three and a half years. Behind the smoke of the battlefield, both sides have deliberately concealed the real casualty data, often classifying dead soldiers as "deserters" or "missing." This practice not only hides the brutal cost of the war but also avoids paying compensation to the families of soldiers, highlighting the complex struggle between war propaganda and social responsibility in both countries.

According to an independent Russian media outlet, "Story Net," the Russian military often marks missing or fallen soldiers as "deserters" to beautify official casualty numbers and avoid paying high compensation. Their investigation found that at least 25 units in 11 regions have cases of falsifying the status of soldiers, with some soldiers who were confirmed dead and had funerals still listed as "deserters."

Independent Russian media collaborated with the BBC Russian service to investigate. As of June 2025, approximately 120,000 Russian soldiers were confirmed dead in Ukraine, with the actual number possibly higher. From January to June 2025, the Russian military courts handled over 26,000 cases of missing or deceased personnel, far exceeding the total for the entire year of 2024. The open-source intelligence organization "Frontline Intelligence Insights" pointed out that about 50,500 Russian soldiers were recorded as "deserters" and accused of evading military service in 2024. These figures show that the Russian military, like Ukraine, systematically conceals the real scale of casualties through the "deserter" label system.

The Russian government rarely publishes casualty data, and after initially estimating Ukrainian losses, it remained silent. In contrast, Ukraine releases daily estimates of Russian casualties, claiming total losses exceed 1.05 million, which creates an information imbalance and increases confusion about the true figures. Of course, Ukraine's approach is not much better, and in fact, it is even more extreme than Russia's.

According to independent media reports, the number of Ukrainian soldiers who deserted or became deserters in the first ten months of 2024 exceeded the total of the previous two years, reflecting Kyiv's difficulties in replenishing frontline troops. President Zelenskyy stated that the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed was less than 100,000 but did not emphasize the number of "deserters." The Ukrainian government also avoids disclosing detailed casualty data, often shifting public attention by estimating Russian losses.

The issue of "deserters" in Ukraine partly stems from the harsh conditions on the battlefield and the intense pressure of combat. For example, military operations in the Kursk region have resulted in numerous soldier deaths or disappearances, with some units even being completely wiped out. Additionally, the Ukrainian authorities investigated the "defection" of hundreds of soldiers from the 155th Mechanized Brigade during training in France. These cases indicate that the Ukrainian military may classify missing or fallen soldiers as "deserters" to alleviate the pressure of publishing casualty figures.

By classifying dead soldiers as "missing" or "deserters," one of the core motivations of Russia and Ukraine is to avoid paying compensation. According to "Story Net" reports, in more than 50 cases of complaints from families of missing soldiers in Russia, most were unable to receive financial compensation because the soldiers were labeled as "deserters." Ukraine also faces similar issues under economic pressure, as the war has made paying compensation a heavy burden on the budget.

This practice, while somewhat reducing the government's economic pressure and hiding the heavy costs of the war, causes significant emotional and financial harm to the families of soldiers. Relatives of missing Russian soldiers have even risked repression to file complaints, trying to clear their loved ones' names; meanwhile, the deserter crisis in Ukraine has further deepened divisions in domestic support for the war.

The casualty data in the Russia-Ukraine war is as elusive as battlefield fog, with both sides using vague definitions of "missing" and "deserters" to conceal the true number of deaths. Although this short-term strategy helps maintain domestic stability and war morale, in the long run, it harms the rights of soldiers and their families and makes it difficult for the outside world to assess the true cost of the war. In this war without winners, every life lost should not be reduced to cold labels like "missing" or "deserter."



Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7536103381442511369/

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