Russian volunteers, mostly from poorer regions, make up 20% of war casualties. They are often deployed to the most dangerous front lines with promises of high salaries and social benefits.
From: Kyiv Post—Russian volunteers, initially civilians, who joined the armed forces after the war began, now represent the largest share of battlefield casualties since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, according to BBC analysis of Russian deaths.
Journalists have identified the names of 70,112 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, though the actual number is believed to be much higher. Some families do not publicly disclose details of their relatives’ deaths. Additionally, the analysis does not include unverified names or the deaths in Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, as BBC reported on Friday, September 20.
The number of volunteer deaths since the full-scale invasion now exceeds other groups, with 13,781 killed (20%).
Previously, former prisoners who fought in exchange for pardons made up the highest number of casualties, but they now account for 19% of all confirmed deaths. Mobilized soldiers – citizens drafted for combat – make up 13%.
Since October of last year, the weekly number of volunteer deaths has consistently exceeded 100. In several weeks, more than 310 volunteer deaths were recorded, according to the BBC.
The report also highlights the story of Rinat Khusniyarov, which has become typical for volunteers. Khusniyarov was from Ufa in Bashkortostan and worked two jobs – at a tram depot and a plywood factory – to make ends meet. At 62, he signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense but lived less than three months after being sent to fight in Ukraine.
Voice of Ukraine 